‘Trust drives growth and action earns trust’: Why transparency is important as ever for companies
To remain relevant, brands must actively engage with controversial topics like sustainability and politics. The CEO of the world’s largest public relations firm explains how companies can navigate these complex issues.
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00:00You recently published the latest Edelman Trust report, which focused on brands and
00:06politics, clearly in a big election year across the world.
00:11What can you tell us about what you found out in this report for this year?
00:16The stunning finding in this report is that 80% of people tell us that they are considering
00:25their choices of products based on their political ideology, and 60% are buying on the basis
00:33of which party they're a member of.
00:38And so if you understand that, in fact, now politics is important as race or gender or
00:44income or education or location, you know, but brands need to run into this as opposed
00:50to run away from it.
00:52Because our data also found that if you don't say something about the issues, the consumer
00:58will assume that you are complicit, more than half, and especially Gen Z, 60%.
01:05By five to one, people want you to say more about climate.
01:08By four to one, more about fair pay.
01:11By two to one, on race and diversity.
01:14So be clear, it's not only that silence is complicity, it is also that if you're silent,
01:20you're irrelevant.
01:21We want you to be in the game.
01:23The key to brands is hope.
01:27And marketing gives us a sense of optimism of what the world can be.
01:32And that's a really vital role in a time of real concern about the future.
01:39Edelman's working with some of the biggest brands across the world.
01:42How are you seeing companies approach this somewhat sensitive subject?
01:47I think the smart companies are recognizing that it's a different thing to be political
01:54and to be in politics.
01:56You don't need to endorse candidates.
01:59You don't need to get into the most controversial issues, abortion, election rights, things
02:04like this, except for your own employees.
02:07But on the matter of being political, sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, even geopolitics,
02:14these are all things that consumers are considering.
02:18And so you need to have a stance, and it needs to be visible, and you need to be consistent,
02:25and it needs to be also coherent with your own corporate values.
02:29The other really important point is that you have ideological diversity on your marketing
02:34team.
02:36Let's be frank.
02:37A lot of marketers tend to be liberal.
02:40We need conservative voices in the room, because just as you need diverse people on your teams,
02:47you now need people who say, that doesn't make sense to the conservative audience.
02:51That's not going to sound good.
02:53You shouldn't do that.