Still, the brand boycott movement continues apace this year, with companies such as Planet Fitness and McDonald's undertaking boycotts of their own companies in recent months. The reasons for boycotts vary, but there is now a growing recognition among marketers that brand boycotts can occur regardless of their efforts and for reasons other than marketing and advertising, and that they need to be addressed. Masu.
Asked about the current state of brand cancellations, Forrester Principal Analyst Audrey Cheerid said, “We're seeing a spike in boycotts and cancellations even when there's no engagement or interaction with the brand.” “We see people using such terms to cancel or boycott, even if they are not members of Planet Fitness, for example. We are in this era where we put
That said, it is true that damaging a brand's reputation can have a negative impact on a brand's bottom line. Finding the right response is critical for marketers who want to minimize the financial and reputational pain associated with boycotts. The timeliness of the response is also a key factor, Cheerid said, adding: “If we wait to see what the economic impact will be, it's a bit too late.” Agency executives, brand analysts and researchers say how a brand responds to a boycott often has the biggest impact on its sustainability, and marketers are now It said it was making a more concerted effort to prepare for a potential boycott.
Tom Gidden, Managing Director of Creative Shop Joan, said: “In a world of constant change and diverse political and social conflicts, brands always have a certain level of commitment when taking a stand on a particular issue. There will be consumer disagreement,” he said in an email. . “Of course, boycotts can have economic and cultural impacts on brands, but how brands prepare for and respond to boycotts in the early stages can determine whether these impacts will continue into the future. or whether a brand can maintain its position” moral basis. ”
Still, it can be difficult for marketers to fully prepare for the possibility of a boycott. Some respond to messages a brand puts out by taking a stand on a particular issue, while others respond to something outside of the brand's control, making it feel like a brand boycott could happen at any time. Masu. While the situation may be unbearable for marketers, agency executives, brand analysts and researchers say understanding consumers better before a boycott can help shape a brand's response. Says.
Ellie Bamford, VML's chief strategy officer for North America, said of the current onslaught of brand boycotts as political divisions intensify: “It feels like the volume of everything is increasing,” and the pace is increasing. It added that it could “diminish the impact” on brands. boycott. “case [marketers] You need to know the degree of polarization of [their] client. ” This will become increasingly important in this divisive presidential election cycle.
Consumer research helps marketers prepare for potential boycotts. Understanding consumers before a boycott arrives can inform what your response should be and potentially improve the timeliness of your response.
“Brands that understand how core audience behavior changes will be able to more proactively adapt their business, influencer, business, and advertising strategies to gain a competitive edge and improve long-term growth. You can develop loyalty,” Gieden said. “Established brands are leveraging access to technology and AI tools to help them track changes in consumer sentiment, analyze macro trends, leverage new data and insights, and more, without relying heavily on cookies. and social media status.”
Agency executives, brand analysts and researchers say lack of response or poor response is often a key factor in the longevity of brand boycotts. Still, there are still many factors outside the control of marketers, and it is impossible for all consumers to be satisfied with their response.
“Brand response seems to be playing a big role,” said Sadie Dyer, director of strategy at Siegel & Gale, a global brand experience firm. When it comes to boycotts based on brand decisions that marketers can control, there should be a sense that marketers know how to respond to those decisions. “Are you going to issue an apology or support a clarification of your decision?”
In addition to understanding consumers and response times, marketers also need to be clear about how their companies are looking to grow and make sure their various teams are aligned around those goals. there is. Marketing has traditionally been responsible for advertising and branding, but is increasingly focused on the brand experience, said Nick Primola, group executive vice president of the ANA Global CMO Growth Council. explains.
“You need to weave insights across the organization,” Primora said of the company's overall growth goals in an environment where brand boycotts are common. “And everyone needs visibility into actions across the organization to know whether those actions are contrary to the credibility of the organization's stated purpose. there is.”
three questions Zach Polakoff, executive creative producer at audio shop Heavy Duty Projects
Are there any notable audio trends right now that marketers should know about?
This is commonplace in certain music circles and may not apply to every campaign or situation. the guitar is back. The trend cycle tells the story. Trap beats are no longer an easy way for a brand to show that it's trending in youth culture. Understanding who you're advertising to and how to reach them requires more nuance and research.
Will there ever be a return to full jingles? They work, but marketers don't seem to use them much.
absolutely. It's happening now, but in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. The “jingle era”, full of brand name speech bubbles and earworm hooks, was once a driving force in sales success. This is in the past. Still, consumers want to perceive brands as entities. I think the word “jingle” has a certain level of cheesiness to it, and doing it in earnest can potentially alienate your product's target demo. By giving the jingle a self-aware twist, we allow the audience to be in on the joke, and we've had fun creating many of these brand-specific, lyric-driven songs.
As advertising becomes increasingly fragmented, how can marketers use sound to stand out?
While ubiquity is a good goal for some marketers, following the trend of a “fragmented” or “fragmented” culture can be a goal. Create bite-sized content for different demographics. Each crowd will appreciate you speaking their language or at least listening to the music. Think about how quickly you can bond with a stranger if you like their music.
In terms of numbers
Last year, retailers like Adidas, Bud Light, and Target came under fire for marketing efforts aimed at being more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, only to experience backlash as they were perceived as “woke.” Needless to say, there is room for improvement in marketers' approach to inclusivity. According to a new study conducted by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), only 55% of marketers actively marketed towards or included the LGBTQ+ community in their marketing efforts in the last year was. See the report's key findings below.
- Almost all (93%) marketers believe it's important for the LGBTQ+ community to be visible in advertising, starting in 2021. 79% of marketers were thinking the same thing.
- 82% of marketers think more positively about companies that actively market to or include the LGBTQ+ community in their advertising, an increase starting in 2021. 66% of marketers were thinking the same thing.
- The biggest challenges marketers have faced in the past year when it comes to implementing LGBTQ+-inclusive marketing campaigns include the difficulty of identifying brand-safe environments for LGBTQ+-inclusive marketing campaigns (39%) and potential consumer backlash concerns (39%). — Kimeko McCoy
This week's quote
“Every player is their own brand now, and the more we can grow that brand, the more prestige our team and league will have.”
— Amelia Davell, director of digital planning at Hughes, an Omnicom Media Group agency specializing in sports, asked about how the NBA is accelerating its push to encourage ballplayers to become creators as well. It was done.
