To remain relevant, brands must actively engage with controversial topics like sustainability and politics. The CEO of the world’s largest public relations firm explains how companies can navigate these complex issues.
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00:00You recently published the latest Edelman Trust report, which focused on brands and
00:06politics, clearly in a big election year across the world.
00:11What can you tell us about what you found out in this report for this year?
00:16The stunning finding in this report is that 80% of people tell us that they are considering
00:25their choices of products based on their political ideology, and 60% are buying on the basis
00:33of which party they're a member of.
00:38And so if you understand that, in fact, now politics is important as race or gender or
00:44income or education or location, you know, but brands need to run into this as opposed
00:50to run away from it.
00:52Because our data also found that if you don't say something about the issues, the consumer
00:58will assume that you are complicit, more than half, and especially Gen Z, 60%.
01:05By five to one, people want you to say more about climate.
01:08By four to one, more about fair pay.
01:11By two to one, on race and diversity.
01:14So be clear, it's not only that silence is complicity, it is also that if you're silent,
01:20you're irrelevant.
01:21We want you to be in the game.
01:23The key to brands is hope.
01:27And marketing gives us a sense of optimism of what the world can be.
01:32And that's a really vital role in a time of real concern about the future.
01:39Edelman's working with some of the biggest brands across the world.
01:42How are you seeing companies approach this somewhat sensitive subject?
01:47I think the smart companies are recognizing that it's a different thing to be political
01:54and to be in politics.
01:56You don't need to endorse candidates.
01:59You don't need to get into the most controversial issues, abortion, election rights, things
02:04like this, except for your own employees.
02:07But on the matter of being political, sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, even geopolitics,
02:14these are all things that consumers are considering.
02:18And so you need to have a stance, and it needs to be visible, and you need to be consistent,
02:25and it needs to be also coherent with your own corporate values.
02:29The other really important point is that you have ideological diversity on your marketing
02:34team.
02:36Let's be frank.
02:37A lot of marketers tend to be liberal.
02:40We need conservative voices in the room, because just as you need diverse people on your teams,
02:47you now need people who say, that doesn't make sense to the conservative audience.
02:51That's not going to sound good.
02:53You shouldn't do that.