Toolkit: Preparing for polarisation

Political ideologies have become increasingly entrenched in marketing and with high-profile brands caught in the polarisation crossfire, there are signs of increased timidity on social causes, according to new research in WARC’s Marketer’s Toolkit 2024.

WARC members can read the full report here. 

If you’re not yet a member, you can find a sample of the report here.

Why polarisation matters 

Following the purpose years, the risks of a backlash are now stark. After all, it’s a year in which AB InBev’s Bud Light showed how wrong such a tactic can backfire financially, especially when not backed up. 

While 76% of Marketer’s Toolkit respondents advise standing ground in the face of controversy, 13% pursue the path of least risk, saying that the best strategy is to “drop all ‘purpose’-driven strategies and political positions.” 

Polarisation is not inevitable

• Despite scary headlines about brand missteps involving polarising issues, respondents to the Toolkit survey are split on whether these situations are inevitable, with an equal 40% globally agreeing – or disagreeing – that such controversies are fated.
  
• The term “polarisation” implies a two-sizes-fit-all world view, but goes deeper than the typical liberal vs. conservative divide, and many pictures can emerge. 
• For marketers, knowing the nuances surrounding polarisation from one country to the next, and one issue to the next, is crucial to managing brand strategy around controversial issues.

Sourced from WARC 

[WARC AI Image]