The fact that global brands have long been engaging in political and ideological disputes is nothing new. If we carefully trace the history of brands, we will certainly come across information that Apple, IKEA, Microsoft or Starbucks speak out boldly in the context of sexual minority rights or the legalisation of same-sex marriages.

The global context of brand engagement

At one point, the aforementioned brands announced, in protest against the policies of US President Donald Trump and in response to the declaration of introducing restrictions on the entry of foreigners, that they would hire refugees. Google, which promotes diversity, is also a socially engaged company. Employees, as part of special working groups, develop solutions in the area of diversity (racial or LGBT issues), which they then share on blogs or social media.

So why is it that in Poland, identification with values and support for views such as abortion, LGBT, ecology, vegetarianism, faith and the right to freedom arouses such strong emotions around which heated discussions take place? The pretext for these considerations is the Women's Strike that has been ongoing for almost a month (since 22 October), taking place not only on the streets, but also in the virtual world, on social media.

Polish brands in the Women's Strike

One of the first to react to the events in our country was Lotte Wedel CEO Maciej Herman, who wrote on LinkedIn: "Wedel is an organisation that supports diversity – including diversity of worldview, fair treatment, tolerance, mutual respect and human rights." The Lukullus confectionery also remained indifferent to the events, noting that the revenue from the sale of its napoleonka pastry until the end of 2020 would be donated to the Women's Strike. Green Caffè Nero, in turn, offered its customers coffee under the apt slogan "Coffee is a woman".

The clothing brand MEDICINE everyday therapy also expressed its engagement and support, writing in its Facebook post: "We often write here about patterns and colours… Today will be no different, but today we choose this pattern and these colours. We are among you," posting a red-and-black symbol of the so-called strike. These are just examples of companies that supported the women's protests by publishing posts with the hashtag #protestkobiet. In addition, some entrepreneurs, as a sign of support for the protesters and out of respect for their employees' views, granted them "days off" on 28 October to support the protest. There are many, many more examples of such actions…

"Brands Amidst Crisis" – trust as the main driver of purchases

The events of recent months in Poland and around the world have further highlighted the crisis of values and trust, as well as the search for new "authorities". Is it possible to reconcile the world of values and ideas with business?

Edelman, the world's largest network agency specialising in marketing communications and public relations, has prepared a special report, the Edelman Trust Barometer "Brands Amidst Crisis", which puts forward important theses in the context of companies' and brands' ideological positions, as well as social trust.

Brand engagement in practice: how brands reacted to the Women's Strike

Brand engagement in practice: how brands reacted to the Women's Strike

The report was based on surveys conducted at the end of October in 8 countries, among 8,000 respondents (including France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States).

Key conclusions from the report:

  • Trust has become the main driver of purchases. 60% of respondents admit that they now choose brands they trust. In return, consumers expect brands to take a stance on social issues while also solving personal problems (86%). Brands must respond to people's needs – today status or image matter much less, while care for health and safety is the most important.
  • The level of fear related to the pandemic has increased. People are most afraid above all for their physical and mental health, for their jobs, for their economic well-being and the safety of their families. Brands that alleviate these fears enjoy four times greater trust.
  • A shift in values – different things matter to consumers. What do we expect from a brand? A sense of security (up 31%), quality adequate to price (+32%), care for people rather than profits (+26%). We care less about a brand showing our economic status (11%).
  • Brands more creative and more effective than government. 55% of respondents believe that brands can do more to solve social problems than government. The same proportion believe that brands are more responsible than governments and act faster to change the situation for the better.
  • Brand engagement must be authentic, not for show. 62% of respondents say that too many brands use important social and political issues merely as a marketing ploy in order to sell more of their products.
  • Ordinary users and experts are more credible. Who best speaks about a brand's actions? Not influencers (37%) or celebrities (35%). The most credible are ordinary brand users, people like us (58%) and experts (53%).

How do the media approach brand engagement?

Journalists on companies' worldviews

And what do journalists think about ideological engagement by brands? As a communication consultancy, we decided to check this at the source and conducted an anonymous survey with media representatives.

Key conclusions from the Lighthouse survey among journalists:

  • As many as 76% of surveyed media representatives indicated that companies should communicate their values in a clear and transparent way. Ultimately, it is the consumer, client or business partner who will be able to confront these values with their own views.
  • According to 74% of respondents, companies and brands have a duty to openly communicate their views and to speak up in important public debates concerning the problems of the world and of people.
  • Only 12% of respondents pointed out that "business has its own rules" and that this is not the place to declare one's views. According to 11% of respondents, companies and brands should remain ideologically neutral.
  • 80% of surveyed media representatives indicated key values, such as: children's rights, protection of the natural environment, ecology, help for the sick and the weaker, freedom of speech and assembly, gender equality, the rights of ethnic minorities, freedom of religion, religious and denominational communities, and the rights of sexual minorities, which require brands to engage in ideological debates.
  • 18% of respondents stated that, in order to preserve their business goals, companies should not openly communicate their values.
  • Nearly 70% of surveyed journalists considered that the values guiding a transparent organisation should be identical to the views of its employees, while 27% said that views are an independent, individual right of every person, their own choice.
  • 93% of respondents considered that the values and worldview with which companies identify should be included in both communication strategies (internal and external) and in CSR or sales.

 

"The world has changed dramatically in recent times. The pandemic, the economic crisis, events related to social and ideological issues – all of this has brought about a radical change in the definition of what influences purchasing decisions. We are no longer dealing with traditional brand marketing. Today people expect brands to respond to personal and social needs. They should not only redefine their role, but also support society in the matters that matter most to it. They cannot shirk this responsibility, but above all they must be transparent and authentic. Taking a stance on ideological issues should be a well-considered action, with full identification of values, not a spontaneous publicity stunt, because consumers will spot such insincerity. Reacting only incidentally can undermine credibility and open the door to accusations of a lack of authenticity – comments Jarosław Bańda, Managing Director at Lighthouse.

The Edelman Trust Barometer "Brands Amidst Crisis" report is available here: CLICK

Summary

The Edelman Trust Barometer "Brands Amidst Crisis" report indicates that 60% of consumers choose brands they trust, and 55% believe that companies can achieve more than governments in solving social problems. At the same time, 62% of respondents condemn brands that use important issues solely as a marketing ploy. The Polish context is shown by examples of companies such as Lotte Wedel, Lukullus and Green Caffè Nero, which in October 2020 openly supported the Women's Strike. The Lighthouse survey among journalists reveals that 76% of them expect clear communication of values, and nearly 70% believe that a company's values should be identical to employees' views. Authenticity and transparency are becoming crucial for building brand credibility.