Woke Marketing and the Fall of Iconic Brands: When Politics Replaces Product
Over the past few years, a growing number of traditional, household-name brands have experienced sharp declines, not because of faulty products or economic downturns, but due to marketing decisions that have alienated their core audiences. What we’re witnessing is a growing disconnect between brands and consumers, driven by corporate campaigns that prioritise political or ideological messaging over relevance, authenticity, and customer connection. Consumers, it seems, have had enough. And now, they’re speaking with the one thing that truly matters to business: their wallets.
Bud Light: A Case Study in Misjudgment
Bud Light’s fall from grace may be the most widely discussed marketing misfire in recent memory. In 2023, the beer brand partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in what was framed as an inclusive campaign aimed at celebrating diversity. While the intentions may have been positive, the execution was tone-deaf to the brand’s traditional, blue-collar customer base.
The backlash was immediate and brutal. Longtime customers felt alienated and mocked by a brand they had once been loyal to. Sales nosedived, shelf space shrank, and competitors seized the opportunity to court disillusioned drinkers. Anheuser-Busch InBev lost billions in market value, and Bud Light’s brand reputation took a blow it may never fully recover from.
Jaguar: Lost in Identity
Luxury car brand Jaguar is another example. Once known for sleek British design, heritage, and engineering performance, Jaguar has in recent years pivoted its branding toward social narratives and progressive messaging—emphasising diversity, equity, and gender expression in its campaigns. Again, the intention may have been to modernise the brand, but the outcome has been confusion and declining relevance.
The traditional Jaguar buyer is typically a professional, middle-aged consumer who values status, legacy, and craftsmanship. These buyers are not looking for ideological statements from a car company—they’re looking for performance, reliability, and luxury. When the marketing strays too far from that, customers notice—and they walk.
Gillette, Target, and Disney: More Brands, Same Mistake
Bud Light and Jaguar aren’t alone. Gillette alienated many of its male customers with its 2019 “toxic masculinity” ad campaign, which painted broad strokes about male behavior rather than focusing on the product or brand legacy. While the company received praise in certain circles, it also saw a drop in sales and a storm of public criticism.
Retail giant Target faced similar consequences when it launched its Pride Month collection, which included children's products that sparked backlash from conservative-leaning shoppers. The response included widespread boycotts and a significant dip in sales and stock price. Even Disney, an entertainment behemoth hasn’t been immune. Its public stances on political and cultural issues have led to boycotts, strained relationships with state governments, and a noticeable dip in public favorability among certain demographics.
Marketing Teams Must Rethink Their Priorities
What all these brands have in common is a failure to read the room. Marketing teams and senior executives, often insulated in corporate bubbles or echo chambers, may believe they are doing the right thing by aligning with trending social issues. But in doing so, they risk forgetting the very people who buy their products.
The truth is, most consumers don’t want politics with their purchases. They don’t want moral lectures from beer companies or political ideology embedded in shampoo commercials. They want quality, consistency, and a brand that reflects their lifestyle—not one that tries to change it.
More importantly, marketing professionals and executives need to recognise a simple fact: your views are not your customers’ views. And if you continue to confuse the two, the results can be devastating.
The Bottom Line: Stay Connected or Stay Irrelevant
We are now in an era where brand loyalty is fragile, and consumers are more empowered than ever. With a few clicks, they can shift their loyalty, voice their concerns, and mobilise mass movements. Businesses that want to stay relevant must return to the basics: knowing their customers, listening to their expectations, and delivering value without politicising their message.
It’s time for marketers and corporate leadership to get out of the boardroom and back into the mindset of the people who pay the bills. Woke campaigns may win headlines, but if they lose customers, what’s the point? In the end, businesses are not platforms for activism, they are platforms for value. And when brands forget that, consumers are more than ready to remind them.