I’ll be honest, my interest in politics soars higher than most. But, most people do consider politics and brands’ stances on social issues when exercising their purchasing power. Here’s my two cents, as an older Gen Z, of how to navigate the political maze.
Stay in your lane.
It’s really as simple as that – kinda. Look at any market research done in the past year: people are increasingly looking for authenticity.
People are looking for you to take a stance – not doing so could actually be detrimental. But, make sure it aligns with every part of your business. Amazon’s claiming to do good for the customers by providing the best customer service yet treats their own employees like inept machines, working them as hard as they can. Not good. Your stance should show and be consistent throughout your company.
Then, also it should make sense for your brand. If you’re a straw company, siding with environmental issues isn’t the way to go. Straws have been ‘canceled’ last year for the environment. But, maybe a straw company can come up with a more environmentally friendly product that helps the disabled drink with more independence. We might not like the waste that you’re building, but we like that you’re helping the disabled.
Staying in your lane is not as hard as it sounds because you should be incorporating the frame of mind in every aspect of your business. For example, we want to do good for the environment (an easy social issue to latch on to), so we’re going to make sure that happens down all channels of our business from using reusable silverware in our corporate kitchen to how our product is made.
Maintain authenticity, but pick a side. Us Gen Zers, we’re watching.
About Marissa Musings: Marissa Musings are short blog posts that derive from an outpouring of random thoughts. My brain can be a very crazy place. Enjoy with caution.