1、The social voice of brandsHow British and American consumers feel about brands expressing opinions on social issues 2ContentsIntroduction.3How important is it for brands to have a clear point of view on political or social issues?.4Are brands perceived to be exploiting issues?.8Beware of the boycott
2、ers?.12How should brands communicate?.16Who wants brand purpose?.19Conclusion.23About the data .24Introduction3More and more,brands are expressing opinions on social and political issues,supporting causes,and presenting themselves as influencers on wider topics in society.But to what extent do consu
3、mers believe that brands should associate themselves with certain issues?This paper uses YouGov data to compare the point of view of consumers from the US and Britain.It explores whether they think its appropriate for brands to comment on social issues and to what extent it depends on the industry.I
4、t also looks at whether the reward outweighs the risk of losing customers when it comes to brands nailing their colours to a particular issues mast.The data shows that GB and US consumers are broadly similar when it comes to the bigger picture.Tend to disagreeDefinitely disagreeTend to agreeNeither
5、agree nor disagreeDefinitely agreeCompanies and their brands should be able to express how they feel on a topic100%0%50%More than half(52%)of people in Britain think that brands should be able to express how they feel on a certain topic,compared with 61%of those from the US.Whats more,just under hal
6、f(48%)of Americans say they like brands that are willing to get involved in social issues and 42%of Brits say the same.Almost six in ten(59%)people in both countries dont think brands should express views on social or political issues,but,as well see later,this depends on the industry and the issue.
7、This indicates that its up to the brand themselves to weigh up the risk versus the reward and understand what causes will resonate with their own audience and what will put them off.I like brands that are willing to get involved in societal issuesI dont think brands should express views on political
8、 or social issuesHow important is it for brands to have a point of view on social issues?4Nowadays brands face huge pressure to“get it right”when it comes to commenting on social issues.While some brands have a clear fit with certain issues or topics,for others it can be a minefield where they risk
9、coming across as disingenuous at best or offensive at worst.And often its not enough for brands to simply“opt out”.For instance,in Britain many brands have come under fire from campaign group“Stop Funding Hate”for advertising in(right of centre national newspaper)the Daily Mail something a brand may
10、 have done for years previously with no comment.Which daily newspapers do you read most often?Paperchase customersGB nat rep14%14%The Daily Mail/The Scottish Daily MailPaperchase recent customersNegative noisePurchase intentThe Mirror/Daily Record13%16%The Guardian10%3%The Times9%5%The Sun5%20%Posit
11、ive noiseEventSept.2017302010040Aug.2018Mar.2018In November 2017,stationer Paperchase bowed to pressure and pulled their pre-Christmas ad campaign from the Daily Mail.This led to a sudden spike in positive and negative attention amongst customers with the brand facing criticism both before and after
12、 discontinuing the campaign.Although attention died down fairly quickly and there seemed to be little impact on lower funnel metrics such as purchase intent,the question of whether the brand should have made this decision remains.Whilst the brands customers over-index in reading(left wing national)T
13、he Guardian,their most read newspaper is the Daily Mail(14%).As such their customer base may not have been those who were bothered by the brand partnering with the paper.5Should brands promote a clear and transparent point of view on societal issues?While brands can be caught in a storm thats not of
14、 their own making,how do consumers feel about brands actively getting involved in social issues?Do they think its important and that brands have a duty to put their weight behind a cause?How important,or not,is it to you that the brands you like have a clear/transparent point of view on wider issues
15、 in society?There is not much difference between the US and Britain on this topic.More than half in both countries(58%in the US and 57%in Britain)believe that companies should have a point of view.On the flip side,just one in eight(12%)Americans and just one in ten(10%)Brits place no importance at a
16、ll on the topicSomewhat importantVery importantNot very importantDont knowNot at all importantGBUS12%10%20%23%10%10%36%42%22%15%How important is it for brands to have a point of view on social issues?6Why should brands get involved in social issues?The reasons people believe brands need to have a cl
17、ear and transparent view are also similar between the two countries.Among those who said its important for brands to get involved,the most common reason is that they want to trust the brands they interact with and also that they believe brands should behave responsibly.Between the two countries,the
18、biggest difference is in how much of a responsibility people think brands have to society.This is much more of a big deal in Britain with 54%giving this as a reason compared with 41%of people in the US.Attitudes towards brand involvement in social issuesBrits who think it is important for brands to
19、get involved in causes are also more likely than the population as a whole to care about things such as tax avoidance.Half of this group(51%vs 29%GB nat rep)say that people and organisations investing money in offshore tax havens is an important issue to them.USGBI want to trust the brands I interac
20、t with58%54%I want the brands I use to behave responsiblyI want to understand who Im giving my money toI want to support businesses who share my valuesBrands have a responsibility to the society they act inI dont want to support businesses who have values I disagree with I like brands that arent afr
21、aid to say what they think58%53%54%52%39%43%54%41%41%33%30%32%How important is it for brands to have a point of view on social issues?7Among those who think its important for brands to have a point of view on social issues,there is a split by industry in both countries but they have fairly similar v
22、iews.USPeople believe that its most important for charities to have a point of view,followed by pharmaceutical and media companies.Overall,for every industry asked about,more people from the US think its important for brands to have a point of view than their counterparts in Britain.GBSomewhat impor
23、tantVery importantIs it more important for certain industries?How important is it for brands to have a point of view on social issues?Charities63%24%87%55%27%Media82%54%27%Pharmaceutical81%48%34%Finance82%46%36%Food&Drink82%42%40%Retail(e.g.,supermarkets)82%41%39%Tech/electricals80%37%39%Auto76%37%4
24、3%Household80%36%40%Clothing76%35%37%Cosmetics&Personal Care72%Charities52%31%83%Pharmaceutical43%35%78%Media42%35%77%Finance37%40%77%Food&Drink36%39%75%29%39%68%29%45%74%Tech/electricals25%46%71%Auto25%41%66%Household23%43%66%Clothing22%49%71%Charities rank highest in the US(87%)and GB(83%).Very/So
25、mewhat importantRetail(e.g.,supermarkets)Cosmetics&Personal CareAre brands perceived to be exploiting issues?8The scores are fairly similar to the number of people who think it is important for brands to have opinions on social issues indicating that brands need to really know where their own audien
26、ce lies on this spectrum.Brands that express views on political or social issues are just trying to exploit them 6%21%19%33%21%2%22%19%40%17%Tend to agreeDefinitely agreeTend to disagreeNeither agree nor disagreeDefinitely disagreeGBUSBuzz:Have you heard anything positive or negative about Pepsi?US
27、nat repGB nat rep28-06-201701-02-201719-04-2017-2002010-10Pepsi airs ad featuring Kendall JennerIn both countries,well-intentioned campaigns centred on social issues have created negative chat around brands.(See GB&US general sentiment scores for Pepsi around the recalled ad featuring Kendall Jenner
28、).There is a group of people in both countries who think that brands getting involved in political or social issues are just trying to exploit them.There is not much difference between the two(54%in the US vs.57%GB)but a higher number of people in the US definitely agree that brands are exploiting i
29、ssues(21%vs 17%).It is important to note,though,that just 6%of Americans and only 2%of Brits definitely disagree with this statement.12%20%51%17%GB0%9Are brands perceived to be exploiting issues?“Brands that express opinions on political or social issues are just trying to exploit them”In both count
30、ries,millennials are less likely to agree with this statement when compared with older generations.Differences between generationsTend to agreeDefinitely agreeTend to disagreeNeither agree nor disagreeDefinitely disagree1%11%12%52%25%Silent generation(1928-1945)Silent generation(1928-1945)Baby boome
31、rs(1946-1964)Gen X(1965-1981)Millennials(1982-1999)USBaby boomers(1946-1964)21%17%34%24%4%Gen X(1965-1981)20%17%33%24%6%Millennials(1982-1999)23%21%32%18%6%17%17%43%20%2%24%19%38%16%2%26%20%37%13%4%10Those who definitely agree that brands are exploiting issuesOne in five(21%)Americans definitely agr
32、ee that brands who get involved in political or social issues are just trying to exploit those issues.This group tends to be older and male.Almost half(49%)finished high school but did not go onto higher education.They also tend to hold more conservative views.In which,if any,of the following areas
33、is it acceptable for a brand to communicate their point of view in marketing materials or other communications?This group over-indexes on the following issues:Increasing reliance on digital assistants is dangerous to society73%vs 50%nat repKids need two parents to grow up well balanced74%vs 54%nat r
34、epThe value of family has decreased over the past few decades84%vs 67%nat repYoung people depend more on their parents today than in past generations90%vs 76%nat repIronically,the internet has made us less connected79%vs 64%nat repThe below table is ranked to show the biggest differences between thi
35、s group and the general population.Those who definitely agree that brands are exploiting issues(US)US nat rep35%24%Animal crueltyHuman rights38%24%Education34%24%Environmental issues33%21%Gender issues(metoo,feminism)17%7%US ProfileAre brands perceived to be exploiting issues?Difference141211101011T
36、hose who believe brands are exploiting issuesIn Britain,the 17%who believe that brands are exploiting certain issues share similar demographics to their counterparts in the US and have a skew towards being male and older.In which,if any,of the following areas is it acceptable for a brand to communic
37、ate their point of view in marketing materials or other communications?Those who definitely agree that brands are exploiting issues(GB)GB nat repThis group over-indexes on the following issues:I think businesses are trying too hard when they use emojis in their ads/comunications79%vs 63%nat repReali
38、ty will always beat ideas68%vs 48%nat repI think newspapers should encourage debate and challenge perspectives91%vs 77%nat repI prefer watching TV on my laptop or tablet37%vs 15%nat repOverall you get a better quality of life in the country87%vs 73%nat repAre brands perceived to be exploiting issues
39、?GB ProfileThe below table is ranked to show the biggest differences between this group and the general population.15%5%Gender issues(metoo,feminism)LGBT+rights18%7%Environmental issues38%28%Human rights31%21%Local issues23%13%Difference1110101010Beware of the boycotters?12For some consumers,a brand
40、 having a strong view on a subject will make them more likely to buy that brand,but for others this may have the opposite effect.Nike recently experienced this risk versus reward scenario when the brand chose Colin Kaepernick a former NFL quarterback widely known for kneeling during Americas nationa
41、l anthem in protest of racial injustice as the face of its 30th anniversary“Just Do It”ad campaign.American Nike customers are more receptive to brands taking a stand on social issuesI like when companies have a moral message78%vs 68%nat repCompanies and their brands should be able to express how th
42、ey feel on a topic68%vs 61%nat repI like brands that are willing to get involved in societal issues65%vs 48%nat repThe US and GB are quite even when it comes to saying they would boycott a brand that expressed a view they didnt like around half for both.However,people from the US are much more likel
43、y to agree that they will buy from a brand that has a view they agree with.The sportswear manufacturer may have come to the same conclusion and YouGovs own data shows that its recent customers in the US tend to be more receptive to brands taking a stand on social issues.13Beware of the boycotters?Wh
44、ats more,fewer Brits agree that advertising influences what they buy,hinting at a belief that they are,in general,less susceptible to outside influence from brands compared to Americans.Tend to agreeDefinitely agreeTend to disagreeNeither agree nor disagreeDefinitely disagreeIf a brand holds a view
45、I disagree with,I will stop buying from them30%5%26%15%32%18%GBUS8%26%15%32%14%If a brand I like expresses a view I agree with in ads,Im more likely to buy it5%19%12%44%19%GBUS7%21%20%42%9%Advertising helps me choose what I buy12%28%14%38%8%GBUS16%35%13%31%5%US&GB purchasing attitudes14The framework
46、 below shows that consumers can be split into different groups depending on whether they will increase their level of spending with a brand or refuse to buy from a brand if they express a certain point of view.It shows the views of the general public but can be recreated for individual brand audienc
47、es.The largest group of US consumers are the 39%(see Reactive group below)who could be swayed by a brands actions either way.This group can offer great reward but can also become a risk if they dont like the cause a brand supports.Around a quarter(24%)of the population will buy more if they like wha
48、t a brand says but are unlikely to boycott a brand even if it voices an opinion they disagree with(see Loyal group below).Another quarter(25%)say they dont mind either way(see Indifferent group below)and are unlikely to change their purchase behaviour because of a brands outlook.Lastly,12%are not on
49、ly prone to boycotting a brand over a disagreeable view,they also report that they wont buy more even if their views align with a brand(see No Upside group below).If a brand holds a view I disagree with,I will stop buying from themIf a brand I like expresses a viewI agree with in ads,Im more likely
50、to buy itReactive39%Loyal24%Indifferent25%No Upside12%AgreeNeitherDisagreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeRisk vs Reward USBeware of the boycotters?15Using the same framework to classify GB consumers,the data reveals that brands that hold a view will have less to gain and,potentially,more to lose among a Britis
