Hearts & Minds: what to do if your business suddenly joins the zeitgeist

Hearts & Minds is a daily blog and topical take on corporate reputation from Sodali & Co's UK Strategic Communications team. 

In Walthamstow, East London, the war is petering out. Having mounted stiff resistance to the arrival of a Gail’s, believing the artisanal sourdough chain would drive away their local craft bakeries, the residents are reluctantly voting with their feet… and heading to Gail’s. 

As they saw it, Gail’s is synonymous with gentrification and in their inverted snobbery, some wished the rapidly expanding group would stay away. Gail’s is just the latest example of a brand acquiring a social association.

What do you do if your business suddenly joins the zeitgeist? First, even if you wanted to, there is little you can do about it. The media loves dishing out labels. Likewise, they adore inventing sobriquets for new types of consumers. Not only journalists, but political commentators and strategists – from their focus groups they produce Mondeo Man or Morrison’s Mum. Suddenly, an entire election hinges on this hitherto undiscovered tribe.

Unless it’s bad and you’re identified as belonging to a group which you really don’t want to belong to - in which case, change your marketing strategy and direction – it’s best to go with the flow. Regard it as a compliment, a sign of cut-through, that your marque is touching a national, perhaps international, nerve.

Play along, good humouredly. Treat it as free advertising, publicity that cannot be bought. Stick to your plan, don’t get diverted; what you’re doing is clearly having an impact, so stay with it.

While the description will remain, it will most likely fade. The media, politicians, pollsters, they treat these things as temporary and they move on. The prize for them is dreaming up the next one. They also see it as a bit of fun. Yes, there can be serious intent but neither is the tag perfect – it’s likely to contain flaws and not be entirely accurate. They know that.

Be wary, too, of the tall poppy. You’ve gone from the business pages to the front, to being part of the national make-up, to a household name with values that everyone now instantly gets. That’s a fine place to be, but it’s also dangerous. The media and the political commentariat also like nothing more than cutting down, to proving the badge wrong. Again, there is not much you can do, except to steal yourself. For a while, it suited them for you to be part of the show, you’ve gone and someone else has taken your place. 

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.