Brands face a slippery slope when taking political stands, as evidenced by a recent GWI survey that found 22% of US consumers stopped using or buying a product because of a brand’s political views over a three-month period spanning late summer and early fall. On social networks, 18% of those surveyed stopped following a brand or influencer for the same reason.

It’s understandable, then, that a majority (82%) of marketers are concerned about how to properly market their brand during a heated presidential race, according to Forrester research. In 2024, a few brands have found a perch, leaning into the heightened emotions surrounding the November election and offering consumers messages of comfort — or an outlet for their anxiety.

Recently Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Maker launched the “Challenge for Toxic-Free Choices,” an organic campaign encouraging people to log off from social media during the month leading up to the election for a chance to win $1,000. The effort builds on the brand’s history of helping consumers avoid toxins like pesticides, said Kristina Drociak, director of public relations and digital strategy for Stonyfield.

“With this year being an election year, the brand saw an opportunity to extend this message in a relevant and positive way to encourage customers to avoid toxins in their lives, this time eliminating digital toxicity by encouraging a break from the networks of socialization.” said Drociak.

The campaign resonated with Stonyfield’s customer base. In the first two weeks of the challenge, 2.1 million people agreed to give up social media, Drociak reported.

Emotions are high

The challenges of mixing politics and brand marketing can be compounded by the current presidential election, which has been particularly charged. A third of Americans say they avoid political content online for a variety of reasons, including: because it makes them feel overwhelmed (35%); creates conflict or a hostile environment (32%) or negatively affects their emotional well-being (30%), GWI found. Additionally, 35% of Americans have reduced their use of social media in the past quarter. Nearly half (49%) cited political talk as the reason they pulled out, according to the researcher’s global survey of more than 2,000 US adults.

The numbers also suggest that political social media posts from brands that don’t reach well could have a negative impact on awareness and purchase intent. Among Americans who limit their access to social media, a significant percentage have previously purchased a product after seeing it featured on Facebook (36%), YouTube (34%), Instagram (27%) and TikTok (21%) ). Major advertisers like Bud Light and Target were last year swept up in the culture wars on their perceived alignment to sensitive social issues, while diversity, equity and inclusion agendas remain under stronger pressure in the larger corporate world.

“With significant numbers of consumers turning away from brands that take political stances – and many even avoiding products altogether – it’s‘It’s clear that if brands want to retain their customer base, they need to be mindful of how their political messaging is received and seriously question whether they need to post political content,” said Matt Smith, trends analyst at GWI, in a statement. .

Although US elections seem to have become more controversial of late, this is not the case‘According to Forrester report, it’s time for CMOs to pull their advertising dollars, “How to advertise in an election year.” Instead, brands should look at the election cycle as a time to build resilience.

As Stonyfield’s effort highlights, the negative discourse surrounding social media can provide opportunities to make an emotional connection. This, in turn, could help drive awareness with key demographics.