Should businesses steer clear of politics? That’s the argument a UK government minister made last month, following a string of high-profile backlashes against brands for weighing in on social issues.
“I’m uncomfortable, instinctively, to see big businesses appropriating the views of their customers to make a political point,” Conservative MP John Glen said in August. “If they want to get into politics, then stand for election.”
Going by a number of recent uproars, many appear to agree. Costa Coffee and Dr Martens faced social media pile-ons for including images of transgender people in their marketing, while NatWest’s CEO stepped down after the bank closed an account belonging to right-wing politician Nigel Farage.