In an increasingly politically charged media landscape brands may feel pressure is mounting to wade in on political and social justice issues. While on some occasions there is a case for an authentic and necessary response, it is also true that there is a reputational risk for organisations tempted to join conversations with style over substance.

Edelman’s 2024 Special Report on Brands and Politics recently highlighted that a massive 71% of people globally think that brands should take a side on a controversial or political issue when under pressure from consumers.

However, PLMR’s research on consumer attitudes in the UK falls below these global findings. Our survey, conducted by Savanta between 19 and 22 July of 2,314 nationally presentative adults across the UK, found that just 32% of respondents think that companies should make public statements on political and societal issues, especially if the topic is not relevant to their work.

How can brands know when the right time to join a conversation is, or what the right thing to say is, when pressure from the public is mounting on them to speak out?

When assessing whether you should or should not comment on an issue, I would encourage brands to ask themselves two questions:

1. Is this issue intrinsic to my business?

2. How important is this issue to my audience?

Defining your intrinsic topics

A common mistake organisations make when deciding whether to comment on a political issue is confusing something that aligns with their values as being intrinsic to their business model. Values alone do not equate to an inherent alignment with an issue that gives a brand authority to speak out on it.

While considering if an issue aligns with the company’s values is often a well-meaning sense check for executives under pressure, the reality is company values are typically broad and open to interpretation.

PLMR’s consumer survey found that if brands think that having the right values will be enough to buy them loyalty, they may be taking more of a gamble than they realise. Just 5% of people said that they would be more likely to remain loyal to a brand that shares their values.

When pinning down what your intrinsic issues are, organisations should consider where they can take meaningful and expert action. For example, M&S has been working for years with its partner Neighbourly to support efforts to end food poverty and weighing in on this issue directly aligns with M&S’s business model as a food retailer.

Similarly, Octopus Energy Group’s Founder, Greg Jackson, was vocal about the need for organisations to do more to support vulnerable people in the face of Winter Fuel Payment cuts last year.

Nike was also willing to take a fall in its share price in order to stand by Colin Kaepernick after he famously took the knee in protest of racism and police brutality in America – years before it became a staple for many Premier League games in the UK. As arguably the biggest name in sports sponsorships, Nike made the decision that taking a stand against racism and in defence of its athletes was worth any financial losses.

Once you have pinpointed your intrinsic issues, it is equally important to stay consistent in your approach to addressing them. The brands who were so vocal during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 all seemingly remained silent during this month’s violent anti-immigration riots in the UK. Is this vindication for those who criticised organisations for performatively condemning racism in the pandemic? Or does it come down to a poorly designed communications strategy?

Taking a risk by putting out a one-off statement on a topic that is not completely intrinsic to your business can risk coming across as inauthentic at best, and offensive at worst. Even if your audience completely shares your values, that won’t be enough to keep them in your corner if the court of public opinion decides you got it wrong.

Speaking directly to your audience

Given that public perception is mixed on when brands should speak on an issue, having a strong understanding of the attitudes and motivators for your core audience is essential to a company’s success.

PLMR has found that the British public thinks it’s more important for organisations to demonstrate their values externally, rather than internally to staff. Therefore, while you may have employees who live and breathe your company values, if you aren’t showing your positive impact on society, then you are missing out on a great opportunity to earn trust and loyalty.

“69% of respondents disagreed with the statement “It is more important for businesses to demonstrate their values to their staff, than it is for them to promote their values externally”

Research has shown that the number one place that the public gets information about the positive impact brands have on society is in the news and the media.

With this in mind, it is essential that your communications plan effectively shows your work externally and often, speaking directly to your audience. What news outlets are the people that matter to your brand reading, watching, listening to? When was the last time you demonstrated your values in action to your target audience? Having a strategy that addresses these points should be the backbone of any long-term media plan, not just a knee-jerk response when backed into a corner.

Actions speak louder than words

For the most part, the public thinks seeing brands taking action is more important than speaking out. PLMR’s survey found the number of people that agreed that they are likely to remain loyal to a company that consistently demonstrates its positive impact in society was double the number that would be loyal to a brand based on values alone.

As the public’s appetite to see companies taking a political stand increases, so too will the number of complex communications challenges for brands. Navigating these can be difficult, but taking the time to build and maintain a strong media presence that demonstrates who you are and what you stand for is cash in the bank when issues crop up.

Ultimately, when taking the decision to speak out on an issue there will always be ramifications. For the best chance of success, be authentic, be true to your values – but don’t rely on them alone to buy you loyalty – and above all, if you are going to speak out, focus directly on your audience.