Why You Should Steer Clear of Politics in Marketing

Should you include politics in marketing? What impact will it have on your campaigns? Is there a risk of losing business and alienating customers if you do include politics?

This article will dive into why politics in marketing can negatively impact your business. We will also give examples of brands that used politics in marketing (and what happened) and share some effective suggestions to stay neutral and keep your business afloat. 

Reasons to avoid politics in your marketing materials 

• You risk alienating your audience (no matter which side you take)

The goal of your marketing campaigns is to reach the maximum number of target customers. Including politics in your marketing materials can alienate your audience – therefore, working against your goal.

You never know which side your audience supports. 

So, no matter which side you take, a section of your audience will always be supporters of the other side. Your political inclinations can repel them away from your products and services. 

Why take that risk when you don’t have to? 

• Other brands may be hesitant to collaborate with you

Politics is divisive. Families and friends fall apart due to contrasting political views, and professional relationships are even more vulnerable to a clash in opinions.

Including politics in your marketing campaigns places a wall between you and other brands that aren’t willing to dip their toes into politics. That wall will deprive you of potential collaboration opportunities. 

Brand collaborations are gold mines for businesses. They help you grab more eyeballs and reach new potential customers. Don’t jeopardize their success. 

• Some influencers and celebrities won’t work with you

Suppose you vocalize your support for Party X in your marketing campaigns. And then, you approach an influencer or celebrity to promote your brand. But they don’t support Party X’s policies at all. Will they be interested in working with you? Likely no. 

Many influencers and celebrities like to remain neutral about their political views. So they won’t be interested in brands with contrasting or “loud and proud” political opinions. 

Ultimately, why lose potential business partners over politics?

Two brands that went political (and what happened)

• Pepsi 

Pepsi is one of many brands that have made it into the news by using politics in marketing. 

In one particularly memorable example, Pepsi aired an ad alluding to the Black Lives Matter movement. The video – which starred Kendel Jenner – ends with her handing a Pepsi can to a policeman. 

The ad received criticism from people across the political divide. 

Many newspaper columns criticized the video for exploiting the Black Lives Matter movement. Other columns celebrated Pepsi’s boldness. Even Martin Luther King’s daughter published a joke that said: “If only Daddy had known the power of Pepsi.”

The ad – good or bad – was divisive. It just wasn’t Pepsi’s best moment. 

• Brewdog 

Brewdog tried its hand at a political topic in 2018. It attempted to make a parody of brands trying to attract women. However, the campaign backfired disastrously.

The ad was titled “Beer for women”. Though it was meant to be sarcastic, people criticized it on the grounds that it didn’t make its campaign for gender equality clear (and thus pushed the stereotypes marketers were trying to satirize). 

Brewdog tried to explain that the ad was a satire piece designed to improve gender equality. But these arguments fell on deaf ears.

Brewdog’s mistake shows what can happen when brands try to incorporate politics into their marketing materials – they end up in hot water.

Political topics you should always avoid

• Religion 

Religion is one of the most sensitive topics worldwide. It’s an integral part of many people’s beliefs. And guess what? Beliefs are seldom rooted in logic. Instead, they are tied to strong emotions and sentiments.

Therefore, including religion in your marketing messages can create controversy. You may hurt some of your existing and potential customers’ feelings and insult their culture. Doing so won’t be good news for your business or revenue. 

• Immigration 

Immigration directly impacts the lives of millions of people, and you might have to take sides to speak about the issue.

Discussing immigration will undoubtedly antagonize your customers and brand loyalists. You might even end up offending some of your employees.

• War 

War is a hot topic. It’s not a pleasant experience, and it devastates people’s lives. However, many people and countries are emotionally attached to wars. Wars are often linked to nationalism – something that really riles people up. 

It’s better to avoid talking about wars in your marketing campaigns if you don’t want to alienate some of your customers. Wars are also complicated, and it’s easy to get things wrong (or be proven wrong later). 

• Local, state, and federal elections 

As you might imagine, elections are one of the most polarizing topics around. 

It’s impossible for all of your customers or loyalists to support the same candidate you are rooting for. Thus, some of them might not be able to relate to your message, and as a result, you will alienate them from your brand.

• Government spending 

Government spending is also a controversial issue. 

Let’s say you are selling a healthcare product. Now, some of your potential customers might support government spending in defense over healthcare, while others may want more funds for medical equipment in local hospitals.

What will happen if you express your support for a side? A group of your customers will love you. At the same time, the other group will despise you. They might even stop buying from you.

Nothing good comes from discussing government spending. It’s just a no-go. 

Ways to stay politically neutral 

• Don’t mention specific politicians and parties 

You can include general political references in your marketing campaigns if necessary. But remember to keep it general and avoid including the names of politicians and their political parties. 

• Focus on culture instead of politics 

Avoid political analogies and stick to culture instead. Politics is divisive and can antagonize a segment of your customer base. 

If you want to make a strong connection, talk about collective experiences, cultural beliefs, and practices that unite people instead of focusing on politics. 

• Don’t criticize the other side 

Not showing your support for a particular politician or political party is crucial in staying neutral. However, not criticizing the “other side” is equally important. The two go hand-in-hand.

People are emotionally attached to the political parties and politicians they support. And they’ll turn away from your brand forever if you criticize people for having a particular belief. Ultimately, you need to be respectful (even if the other side isn’t). 

Final thoughts – politics in marketing 

Politics is a personal and controversial thing, and preferences vary widely among people. 

Polarizing your customers won’t do any good for your business. Instead, try connecting with customers on an emotional level and ace your marketing efforts by appealing to everyone.