Managing Director of Igniyte, Roz Sheldon talks to Raconteur about public backlash when brands take a stance on political or social issues.
Following high-profile protests against NatWest, Costa, and Dr Martens, Raconteur surveyed consumers about their views on the brands that take a public stance.
For many consumers, if a brand chooses to support something that they, themselves, don’t agree with, it can lead to a loss of sales or more importantly, a drastic shift of public perception.
Costa Coffee and Dr Martens both faced a barrage of loaded social media opinions for including images of transgender people in their marketing. NatWest’s CEO had to step down after closing the bank account of Nigel Farage.
For Roz Sheldon, managing director at reputation management agency Igniyte, “It’s always going to be a risky strategy to go out there and target one social issue that isn’t really integral to your brand. It tends to divide people.”
Read more about the ‘War on Woke’ and about how the public feels about brands facing backlashes at Raconteur.net
An experienced Digital PR and corporate communications professional, Benjamin leads PR strategy and delivery for Igniyte’s clients across multiple countries and sectors.
With over 5 years’ experience in marketing, communications, and PR, Benjamin consistently gains high-ranking positive coverage for our clients in national, international, and specialist online media – including The Times, The National, The I Paper, EuroNews, Forbes and PC Mag.
