“Whose side are you on, anyway?!”
It’s a common refrain during a political discussion.
We’ve become so used to folks digging into support ‘their side’ that the topic almost doesn’t matter. If your favorite party supports it, you might find yourself arguing for something you disagreed with a couple years ago.
Companies fall into this trap as well. They get pulled left or right depending on their leadership, employees and customers. They slowly evolve into either a Republican or Democratic company.
Becoming more partisan can deepen the relationship with like-minded customers, but it can also distance you from others. It can also overshadow your company’s branding efforts. Customers may start to forget about your messages of customer service, top performance and high-quality products. Instead, they might remember the brand for its support of a social issue they either love or hate.
And those emotions are a lot stronger than those created by the tagline on your website.
This is why maintaining an apolitical stance can be so important, especially as administrations change or parties evolve on certain issues.
Issues Ebb and Flow Across Party Lines
For years, Republicans were strong advocates for open and free trade. During the George W. Bush administration, the country expanded from three free trade agreements to 16, including those with Middle Eastern and Central American countries. The Trump administration is now straining international trading relationships with tariffs, most notably with the world’s largest buyers of U.S. ag products, like China, Mexico and Canada.
The Obama administration increased international border agents by more than 3,000 and aggressively increased deportation with a record 2.7 million removals during his eight years in the White House. Now, Democrats have made providing permanent, legal status to undocumented workers a key pillar of the party.
Those are just two examples but it’s safe to say that, if your company stays consistent on a certain issue long enough, you’re bound to find yourself walking into Congressional offices from both sides of the aisle.
Stay Business Issue-Focused
Strongly aligning your company to a party can create customer tension when key issues drift across party lines. It can also put your business in the position of advocating against its own business interest. Further, if your company is too connected to one party, your influence might walk out the door when the next administration walks in.
Personal political leanings aside, companies that remain apolitical have the best opportunity to advocate for their priorities over the long term.
