The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election is just a few months away, but social media is already dominated by political conversation. According to data from Sprout Social Listening, between January 1 and March 6, 2024, there were nearly 7.6 million conversations about the presidential election, resulting in nearly 45 million engagements and more than 103 billion impressions.
Fewer than half of those conversations were positive, which is evidence of what many social marketers already know: a presidential election makes social media tricky, even if your brand isn't inherently political. In a normal year, running social media for a brand account is complicated. But in a year like this one, the complexity and risk are multiplied tenfold.
To get through this year unscathed, brands need to consider what their audience actually expects and have a plan in place to protect brand safety.
Why don't brands have a hand in this?
From #OccupyWallStreet to #ArabSpring to the 2016 US Presidential election, the rise of social media activism changed people's expectations of brands. Consumers began to demand a new level of corporate responsibility from apolitical companies. According to the Harvard Business Review, “businesses became embroiled in politics and social issues… By 2018, CEO activism was seen as the 'new normal.'”
In 2020, brands have increasingly spoken out in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Black Lives Matter movement, and growing concerns about climate change. As a result, brand activism on social media has become expected, and brands that have remained silent on certain issues have been heavily criticized.
However, in recent years consumer demand has begun to change again.
A few years ago, it was non-negotiable for brands to speak out on issues. But as the 2023 Sprout Social Index™ points out, today, only 25% of consumers believe that in order to be memorable, a brand must speak out about causes or news that align with their values. In fact, only 21% of consumers follow a brand on social because their mission or values align with theirs. With growing skepticism of performative activism, audiences value brands that prioritize great service delivery over lackluster public statements.
And it appears brands are growing weary of taking hard stances on political issues for fear that they could alienate audiences, invite waves of hate or trolls, or backfire in the future. During research for this article, no brands were willing to discuss their efforts in this year's election, suggesting they are weary of being subjected to the harsh political spotlight.
Some brands, such as nonprofits and political organizations, will inevitably need to join social media conversations on controversial topics. But to achieve their goals on social media, even those brands must choose carefully how they engage. To build awareness, drive engagement, and emerge from election season as a thought leader, you must be strategic. The key is to be responsive in sharing unique perspectives on timely topics and understand the issues that matter to your community. For example, Gen Z voters are particularly concerned with mental health, while Gen Xers are more interested in employment opportunities.
While it is still too early to tell, it seems likely that brands will be less involved in this year's US presidential election than they were in 2016, focusing instead on engaging with their audience and protecting their brand image.
The influencer loophole
While most brands may shy away from making an explicit political statement, there's still one way they can demonstrate their brand values: influencer marketing. Some brands are turning to influencers and celebrities to communicate their values, like Reformation's latest campaign in partnership with Monica Lewinsky and Vote.org.
Interestingly, the Reformation campaign is most heavily focused on the new line of tailored workwear for women and Lewinsky's status as a political icon. Even the campaign's political message – “Go Out and Vote” – is much less politically charged than the brand's 2020 activations.
When searching for the right influencers to work with, consider how their political views will speak to your target audience and reflect on your brand. Even if your influencer campaign is not political, your brand will associate with the influencer's values, which can work to your advantage.
Greg Rokisky, social media strategist at Sprout Social, said, “When partnering with influencers and creators, the Sprout team scrutinizes a potential partner's overall content and presence to see if it aligns with our core values. This doesn't mean being uniform in thinking or shying away from bold opinions. Ultimately, these partnerships are about creating meaningful connections and adding value to our community.”
So if you do take advantage of the “influencer loophole” in your election efforts this year, make sure you do so thoughtfully, conscientiously, and with your brand's larger goals in mind. “We know that creators have their own opinions and the right to express them just like anyone else,” Rokiski continues. “We're focused on content that directly relates to our brand, our products, and the positive impact we hope to create for current and potential customers, and businesses around the world.”
Social listening is key to assessing brand health
Whether brands go all-in on their election strategy or tone it down, one thing is true: In the social age, it's much harder for companies to control their brand narrative, and social media in an election year is even harder to predict.
That’s why leaders across the company should regularly check in with their social teams for updates on the health of their brand during the presidential election. Social listening tools can be used to dig deeper into the sentiment and scope of political topics on social and monitor for looming crises.
For example, Sprout relies on listening even more during election years: “We use social listening during elections to tune into conversations that could impact our brand's health and image. Tensions are high during elections, and risks are increased for all brands online, so we pay even more attention to protecting our brands from crisis, and B2B SaaS brands are no exception,” says Olivia Jepson, senior social media strategist at Sprout Social.
Sentiment analysis can be particularly useful for gauging the tone of the political conversation and how it intersects with brand health and industry trends.
Social listening isn't just relevant for this year's US Presidential election. It's just as valuable for elections around the world. 64 countries are holding national elections this year, with potential voters making up 49% of the world's population. With a social listening solution like Sprout, your team can set up queries that track millions of conversations happening around the world, zeroing in on key learnings in seconds and protecting your brand around the world.
What brands need to do to “win” this election season
Managing your social media during a presidential election year can be stressful and nerve-wracking. You're walking on eggshells. One wrong move and your brand could crumble under the pressure.
However, changing consumer preferences suggest that many want brands to stay in their element and speak selectively about issues. This relieves some of the pressure on brands, but the risks remain high. Companies that want to get through this election year relatively unscathed and achieve their goals will need to be extra vigilant in protecting their brands.
Looking for help making the most of your brand safety strategy this election? Check out our communications plan templates and webinars.
