“W
hose side are you on, 
anyway?!”
It’s a common refrain during a 
political discussion.
We’ve become so used to folks 
digging in to 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 leader­
ship, 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 brand­
ing 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 impor­
tant, especially as administrations 
change or parties evolve on certain 
issues.
Your influence 
might walk out 
	 	 the door
Jim Schweigert President, Gro Alliance
PRODUCTION
Issues Ebb and Flow Across Party Lines 
For years, Republicans were strong advocates for open 
and free trade. During the George W. Bush administra­
tion, the country expanded from three free trade agree­
ments 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 advo­
cating against its own business inter­
est. Further, if your company is too 
connected to one party, your influ­
ence might walk out the door when 
the next administration walks in.
Personal political leanings 
aside, companies that remain apoliti­
cal have the best opportunity to 
advocate for their priorities over 
the long term. 
INTERNATIONAL EDITION 2026  SEEDWORLD.COM /  29

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