It wasn’t very long ago when staying quiet and avoiding controversy were the tried-and-true PR rules for businesses. But the consumer-company relationship is quickly evolving, along with people’s expectations of companies.
A recent study by Clutch shows that 71% of people expect companies to take a stance on social movements.
Because this expectation is so new, many businesses struggle with what to say and when, always being aware of the risks involved.
Best case scenario? They speak out and their stance resonates with the majority of their consumers, resulting in higher revenue, an elevated brand, and greater awareness for the issue.
Worst case scenario? They speak out and their stance alienates consumers to the point of revenue loss and tarnishes their brand.
Staying silent isn’t safe either. Silence might keep the company out of controversary, but if it’s regarding an issue relevant to the company’s brand, it could hurt the company later on.
“It can be a huge competitive disadvantage to stay silent in the midst of a crisis,” said Steve Cody, CEO of Peppercomm.
This, of course, presents an infinite new list of challenges for businesses to navigate in how and when they’ll respond to social issues.
Here are 3 things businesses should do when deciding whether to respond to a social movement.
Know Your Purpose
Having a clearly defined corporate purpose can help you navigate this new, challenging landscape.
“Your corporate purpose is your North Star for deciding whether to respond to social movements,” Cody said.
Cody said that having a clearly-defined corporate purpose is a company’s best protection against the unexpected.
“If you know your company, you’ll be better able to determine what to say, what not to say, and what you want to comment on,” Cody said. “It will also help you make sure you’re delivering on that corporate purpose to all of your stakeholders.”
Having a well-defined corporate purpose is key, but how should a company do this?
Involve as Many People as Possible
It is good practice to include as many people as possible in the process of defining (or redefining) your corporate purpose.
“This could be everyone from the receptionist, right up to the CEO,” Cody said. “You also want to check with the key stakeholders to make sure they believe in the values you’re considering including in the purpose.”
This process is often not a quick one. Sometimes, it can take companies years to make sure they define a purpose that is inclusive of every culture represented by its employees and holds true to the promises they make in their marketing campaigns.
This on be easier for smaller companies and very complicated for larger, global companies.
However, companies will find that it pays off to invest the time and resources to making sure their corporate purpose is well-defined and inclusive of those that represent its brand.
Predetermine Which Issues Are Relevant to Your Brand
Nike features Colin Kaepernick in its’ “Just Do It” 30th anniversary campaign. Negative reaction to was predictably swift but in just three days, Nike products began to fly off shelves, leading to a 31 percent increase in sales.
While social crises and issues are often unpredictable, there are things companies can do so they aren’t completely caught off guard when a situation occurs, like identifying in advance which issues are relevant to their brand.
By deciding ahead of time which issues are relevant to your brand and will warrant a response, your company can outline a strategy and draft potential responses.
Knowing which issues are relevant to your brand will also help you determine which are not relevant and warrants silence.
Some company CEOs also rely on the power of precedence, in addition to having a well-defined corporate purpose.
If an event or issue isn’t directly related to the brand’s purpose and if the company doesn’t have a history of commenting on similar issues, usually the company is in the clear to remain silent.
Dedicate Time to Defining Your Corporate Purpose
Silence is no longer always the best PR policy as more people expect companies to find their voice and respond to today’s social issues.
Businesses can mitigate the risks associated with taking stances on social movements and issues by clearly defining their corporate purpose and identifying which social issues and movements align with their brand’s values.
