Call to Action 3: Get Real (Political)
SXSW 2019 Special
The younger generation (and the largest workforce in the US) are impatient and disillusioned. They’re tired of waiting for their peers to fix things, worn out by constant stimulation, and disillusioned by politics today. There is a (much needed) revolution stirring, encouraging us all to take an active part in reshaping the world in our own and everyone’s best interests. Individuals are taking charge as political activists, demanding new structures and policies, preaching that the future is something we create through our actions today.
Directors from Patagonia, Airbnb and Lyft, debated the reality for brands in the new political landscape on a SXSW panel. With 57% of consumers willing to boycott a brand because of its political position, there are new rules for brands to stay relevant and engage with consumers on issues that really matter.
We are increasingly seeing less overtly political brands making big statements. A notable occasion was when British high-street fashion label Jigsaw took the 2017 Marketing Week awards by storm with their ‘Love Immigration’ campaign. The marketing narrative, though coined in a positive light and focusing on embracing diversity and openness, was topically anti-Trump and anti-Brexit. Jigsaw struck the perfect balance in taking a clear, strong position: letting their customers know where their hearts and minds lie, yet doing so constructively and eloquently.
It’s 2019 and every brand or brand action has become political. (- SXSW recording: Brand: The New Political Reality)
If you only read this:
Shit’s getting real, and we need to too. These days, everyone’s got an opinion, and there is an array of social media platforms to share and discuss them on. As our politics get more polarised, it’s more critical to talk about what’s happening in the world.
No one does this better than The Daily Show. Their Donald J Trump Presidential Twitter Library, which won the Arrow award for Spirit of SXSW, is a satirical museum pop-up that shows the evolution of Trump’s social media persona via his favourite method of communication — Twitter. The Library is irreverent and hilarious, yet sharp and thought-provoking. And in true Daily Show fashion, it’s committed to the concept: embracing the language and style of existing presidential libraries and museum exhibitions, but with content that is entertainingly absurd while also being terrifyingly real (this is the epitome of fact being more outlandish than fiction).
You will remember to laugh, and you will remember to be outraged, and you will remember to be disgusted — I hope, at times or disappointed. (- Trevor Noah, the host of the Daily Show, about the Twitter Library)
Branding has become political
Consumers today expect the impossible, and are sceptical of everything going on — politically, environmentally, and all in between. New tendencies are evolving from this, such as consumers demanding new ways of self expression, deliberately downgrading their technologies, or seeking comfort and trust in nostalgia and items from the past.
Change is constant and happening across every sector, evident especially as brands are scrambling to stay relevant by expanding into adjacent, and sometimes unexpected areas. West Elm and other furniture retailers, are extending into hospitality. Capital One is one of countless banks opening coffee shops — trying to make the bank experience appeal to a younger workforce. Crayola crayons have launched a makeup line in partnership with Asos (also a strong case showing our craving for nostalgia) — celebrating the brand’s unmistakable spirit of self-expression and personal creativity. And a final example, which is certainly the most disturbing, is the US president promoting his collection of Trump merchandise with a 20% Black Friday discount.
The focus of the SXSW festival programme has taken on new dimensions this year. For decades, SXSW has been mostly about music, film and technology — but this year’s roster was specked with rising political stars and aspiring 2020 presidential candidates. Even the EU stepped up its presence with the Danish politician and EU Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, discussing the responsibilities of large tech companies. Part of the political invasion at SXSW relates back to exactly this — the increasing risk of digital and the need for regulation of Big Tech brands, brands which have long participated in the festival.
The increase in political figures at SXSW shows just how much politics have become entrenched in every aspect of our lives. Austin has never shied away from this, as SXSW has hosted Obama and Biden in previous years. 2019 indicates that SXSW 2020 will be an important pitstop on the political roadmap ahead of the 2020 presidential election — a compelling way to connect with a younger generation of tech-savvy, self-expressive and politically active individuals.
