When it comes to their marketing and advertising, many companies have a tendency to want to play it safe with the content. Touching topics that could be seen as controversial or debate-worthy is something that many businesses fear could lead to losing customers, or causing strife around their company. On the other hand, they believe that playing it safe with the topics that they chose to weigh in on will make them more universally. However, this isn’t necessarily in the case. There are many times when it is far more beneficial to do something that we like to call “taking a stance.” While many companies are afraid to take this road, there are actually many reasons why it is important for a company to seem bold in this way. Here’s some marketing benefits of taking a stance…
Relevance
The problem with refusing to take a stance, and instead playing it safe, is that your company will seem soft. Having opinions about what is going on in the world right now brings your company down to earth and gets people talking. It puts you in conversations about something that actually affects people’s lives and the world we live in. It makes you relevant. By playing it safe, you risk falling into the background and becoming white noise. Nobody cares what you have to say if you constantly play it safe, but everybody listens when you are bold about the things you say.
More loyal customers
The biggest fear that companies have about taking a stance is that it will alienate certain customers who disagree with them. This scenario will happen, and it’s naive to think that it wouldn’t. However, you will inspire a far more loyal fan base who does agree with what you have to say. It also builds respect, even with those who disagree, when you are honest with the stances that your company takes. This type of sincerity builds lasting relationships with consumers, who will continue to turn to you for your particular services. The company that plays it safe is the boring, stale person at the party. Don’t be this person. The entire marketplace is the party, and you want to be the life of it.
A company with values
If your company stands for nothing, what will it fall for? A company without a higher purpose will have a much harder time building a good reputation with consumers. Being morally neutral about heated topics can make you seem cold and calculating, because morally neutral is essentially the same thing as morally bankrupt, in the eyes of the population. Businesses are ran by people, and being too faceless about opinions that might seem controversial makes you seem impersonal. People would much rather do business with a company that they see as having values.