• by Jim Joseph , May 1, 2013

The Supreme Court's (#SCOTUS) impeding decision on Marriage Equality has put a spotlight on an evolving movement in marketing that has rarely been seen before:

Brands having a “voice.”

This means that brands are suddenly jumping into intense conversations with a real point of view, on issues that could be seen as quite controversial. All this for what feels like the first time ever!

For example, just recently many brands entered into the Marriage Equality debate, and other sociopolitical issues, with something definitive to say on the matter -- big brands like Starbucks, Budweiser, Amazon and Expedia. While it has always been considered taboo for marketers, brands are now openly stating their opinions on issues like gay marriage, gun control, fiscal responsibility and political elections. 

Back in the day, a brand wouldn’t think of touching such subjects for fear of alienating a huge portion of the population, either because they didn’t agree with the opinions or because it was considered distasteful to talk of such matters in public.  

Apparently, not any more. Expressing a “voice” has become a form of targeting and connecting with customers in a much deeper way -- by agreeing on a subject that is near and dear to their hearts.

What makes it so different now?

Social media and intense consumer participation.  Social media has given consumers (and brands) a platform to discuss personal views on public issues like never before. By engaging in the conversations together in these forums, brands are aligning with their customers on a much more emotional level. Sweden is paving the way here by giving access to the country’s Twitter account ‘@sweden’ to its citizens, so they can voice their thoughts in a public forum.  Democracy with a loudspeaker!

Brands’ desire to be a part of the community.  Brands are now seeing the benefit of really becoming a member of the community in which their customers “live,” not just where they “shop.” By residing right alongside them, these brands are finding that loyalty comes more sincerely. We certainly saw that to be true when symbols of marriage equality took over Facebook in support of the issue. Starbucks was a strong example of this approach when it gave away free coffee to anyone who supports marriage equality. This brand also uses Facebook to motivate its very diverse employee population. What better way to tell your employees that you care than by supporting an issue that directly affects their lives?

Brands with a purpose.  We are also now living in a time where brands feel they need a purpose beyond just selling their product or service. Actually, their customers are telling them that they need a greater purpose. By supporting certain social issues, brands begin to position themselves as making a more meaningful difference in people’s lives. Toms Shoes brought this to life with their “buy one, give one” brand premise, and now others are looking to thrive at a similar level, often based around a social issue. Sustainable farming from Chipotle comes to mind.

The need to break through.   And then of course, there’s the old-fashioned need to break through the clutter. By commenting in a bold way on a controversial issue, brands can stand out from their competition and get noticed. Not every brand has a budget like Axe, which is sending select consumers to outer space, so breaking through on a social level using digital media is much more realistic.

So is this just a fad -- or something that’s here to stay?

If marketing is all about connecting with your customers and adding value to their lives in deeper and richer ways, then I would say this is just the tip of the iceberg. With new permission to take on issues once thought of as a marketing taboo, I would say that we are going to see more and more of this kind of brand activism behavior. Just wait until the next Presidential election!