Two things generally hold true in marketing:
- People prefer to buy from brands that share their values.
- When brands try to share their political and moral values, customers often perceive it as tone-deaf.
Sadly, it’s too easy for brands to make tone-deaf comments during major world events.
And seeing as there are major world events happening all the time, we arrive at the question:
How should marketers approach messaging when major world events occur?
The short answer is… it depends on your business.
But here are a few rules of thumb:
Try to avoid speaking out if you have nothing helpful to add
When the war in Ukraine began earlier this year, some brands wrote a short statement explaining why we wouldn’t cover the war.
It may be unhelpful to comment on something outside of one’s expertise.
If you do speak out, keep it short
Unless your brand has an identity based on a particular issue, most people won’t be sitting at the edge of their seats to hear what your brand has to say about the latest world event.
So if you speak out, keep it brief.
Never make it about your brand
We’ve seen this many, many times.
When major world events happen, avoid putting the spotlight on your brand, and focus instead on offering value in a way that’s relevant to your identity and purpose.
If a brand or person tries to openly be a white knight (e.g., Elon Musk and the Thai cave or inserting himself into the Ukraine situation), people will see through it as a PR stunt.
Finally, a friendly reminder
When a war breaks out or a tragedy occurs, most people aren’t waiting with anticipation to hear what their favorite e-commerce brand has to say.
In many cases, no response is the best response.
