Companies Political Stance: Make or Break Them
By Arryana Jackson | March 1, 2021
The murder of George Floyd, the capitol riots, and a first-ever, female Black Vice President. These events and tragedies have forced brands to speak up about their political standpoints, but not all consumers are happy about this. When you think of the brand, Pepsi, it is doubtful that the first thing that comes to your mind is the company’s political stance. Consumers usually like the brand because they enjoy the taste of their products. From this standpoint, it is easy to see why brands don’t usually outwardly express their political views due to fear of losing consumers.
However, some companies have done this, and their brands are doing just fine. Take Chick-fil-A as a perfect example. We know this fast-food chain for its chicken sandwiches and their famous exceptional hospitality from smiling employees. However, they are also known for their deep Christian values and always being closed on Sundays. Even with them explicitly talking about their values and beliefs as well as their controversy with the LGBTQIA+ community, their popularity has not decreased.
With events and tragedies being broadcasted on social media more, consumers are now looking for companies to voice their views on what is going on. After the murder of George Floyd, I found myself instantly going to various brand’s social media pages to see if their statements aligned with my views. If they didn’t, I struggled to continue to support that brand.
With the racial and social injustices, you’d think that all these companies would be on the same page in terms of fighting for equality. This is, however, wrong. Looking back to May in the peak of the Black Lives Matter Movement, we either saw a black square, a statement that looks half-written with no thought, or resources to help educate their consumers and stand in solidarity with the movement. This can create a conflict between consumers and brands.
The most recent controversy was Vice President Kamala Harris on the front cover of Vogue Magazine. When scrolling through the Instagram comments, many fans of Vogue were not happy, and it wasn’t just because of the way she was dressed. People were upset at the fact that Vogue is not known to be a political magazine and now they are adding political figures on their issues. It is instances like these where consumers feel like they are put in a difficult position to support the brand if their views do not align with theirs.
As brands continue to speak out on issues and events happening in the country, we begin to see their true colors. Moving forward, this can either have a positive or negative outcome for a brand. I think brands will have to continue to speak up on issues and events because consumers are going to look at them when something happens. In the height of social media, there are more eyes on these brands than ever before.
About me:
Arryana Jackson is currently a third-year Journalism major with an emphasis in public relations. She is currently a member of two organizations as well as working for the CSUN Mentorship Program. In her free time, she enjoys freelance writing, working out, and surrounding herself with friends and family. Arryana is set to graduate from CSUN in December of 2021.