It is not about punishing but about being consistent with your values.
For better or worse, brands are not oblivious to the social context in which they live. In this sense, in recent weeks we have witnessed different reactions to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by companies.
From the exodus to the boycott, through solidarity initiatives to help refugees. Because, however difficult the situation, today’s consumers expect strong responses from the brands they buy (only 16% are against brands getting involved in one way or another).
In recent years, companies and brands have demonstrated real power to bring about change, impacting issues such as racial justice, feminism and sustainability. Brands have become another tool through which to support causes and show our way of thinking.
But just as consumers use brands as a banner of values, they also subject them to continuous scrutiny. In fact, according to Hotwire’s ‘Socially Conscious Brands’ study, 53% of consumers have at some point vetoed a brand because of the way it behaves.
In any case, as much as big brands are perceived by consumers as global players as important as some governments, their role is not to wage war.
And that is precisely why they should neither reward nor punish anyone, but rather reflect and be consistent with their principles as a brand.