Enough of this “Brands Need to Take a Stand” Crap Please—There’s a Better Way

I’m not a “trend” guy.

From a business sense, I believe in and latch onto, principles.

You see, principles, when understood and used correctly, are timeless.

They worked 100 years ago and they will continue to work in another 100 years.

But what we’re seeing more and more of right now are folks espousing just how much brands “must take a stand”  (see: Nike) when it comes to the heated social and political issues of 2018 and beyond.

I’m calling bull on all of it, and here’s why.

Personally, I own three very unique businesses.

A swimming pool installation and manufacturing company. (River Pools)

A digital marketing publisher/agency. (IMPACT)

And a speaking bureau. (Marcus Sheridan International)

Each is in the public eye.

Each is relatively successful.

Yet none are politically or socially divisive.

As a professional speaker, I’ve spoken to brands, companies, countries, and cultures all over the world.

Never once have I looked to make a statement that could be socially or politically divisive in nature, yet notwithstanding, no one has ever said, “That guy isn’t taking a political stand. I don’t like him.”

You see, my goal is kindness without judgement. I want to bring audiences together. I choose to focus on what we all share versus where we have our differences.

Please understand, I’m not referring to “causes” here. I do believe every company should ideally have a cause-- one that has a positive reach beyond their own and truly does benefit others by giving back.

But the subject I’m referring to herein is different.

It’s a “you’re either with us or against us” mindset.

And that’s the thing—as brands and businesses, we always have a choice. We can focus on why we’re all more similar than we realize (and uplift as many as possible) or we can say, “You know what, let’s see if I can alienate 50% of my potential customer base.”

Sorry, but I’m just not going to join in on that short-term thinking.

Plus, I have too many employees to worry about, many of which don’t always share my beliefs on political, social, or other areas of life.

But besides that, my own beliefs change. What I feel about subjects today may be very different tomorrow. I recognize that I’m not always right, and therefore it’s more important I learn than simply spouting off every time I do or don’t like what’s happening in society.

About a year ago, I had the pleasure of being in the audience what I felt was the greatest speech I’ve ever seen someone give in my life (and I’ve seen thousands).

From the INBOUND stage in Boston Massachusetts, Brene Brown stood in front of a politically heated and divided audience and told each of us to start focusing more on what we shared and less on why we were so different.

Without question, it was the most beautiful, enriching message I’ve ever heard. And as I sat mesmerized listening to her, I couldn’t help but think: “Finally, there is someone out there like me. This is how I feel. I am not alone.”

But my feeling is there are others too.

Not everyone (company, brand, or individual) wants to draw a line in the sand and divide themselves from the masses.

No, I believe many want to be uniters instead of dividers.

In fact, you may be one of them.

And if you are, I would urge you not to listen to the bad advice out there or the misleading “trends” of the day.

Keep spreading positivity and warmth by letting your light shine.

This, I know, is a business approach that will be built to last for years to come.