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This week, we’re publishing two companion columns from Mark on whether major brands should publicly weigh in on the events in Minneapolis. Here’s the other perspective.
A chorus of voices is demanding that America’s largest corporations “take a stand” on the events unfolding in Minneapolis. Activists are marching. Social media is ablaze. The usual suspects are drafting open letters demanding that brands denounce ICE and insert themselves into one of the most divisive flashpoints in recent American history.
There’s a case to stay quiet. Stay in your commercial lane. And remember what business you’re actually in.
I realize this position will be unpopular in certain quarters. But the data, and recent corporate history, suggest that brands wading into politically charged territory face asymmetric risk with minimal upside. Minneapolis isn’t an ethical dilemma. It’s a marketing minefield.
A divided nation
Let’s start with the numbers that matter. Yes, polls show ICE approval declining. But dig beneath the headlines and you find a nation split almost down the middle. A Harvard/Harris poll found 56% of registered voters still support deporting all undocumented immigrants. A New York Times/Siena poll shows the nation split 50-47 on the deportation program. A CBS News/YouGov survey confirms deportation “continues to draw strong backing from Republicans and especially strong backing from MAGA.” This isn’t a clear mandate. It’s a demographic coin flip. Whatever position a brand takes will alienate roughly half its potential customer base.
The graveyard of brand activism
The corporate cemetery is littered with brands that thought they could navigate political controversy. Bud Light’s influencer partnership with Dylan Mulvaney seemed harmless until it resulted in a boycott that wiped billions from its market value and lost its two-decade reign as America’s top-selling beer. Target has been hammered from both directions: conservative boycotts over Pride merchandise, then progressive boycotts after DEI rollbacks. Sales fell nearly 3% in Q1 2025, stock dropped 61% from its 2021 peak, and the company announced its first major layoffs in a decade. The lesson isn’t that brands should take the “right” side. It’s that there is no right side when your customer base is politically heterogeneous.
