Cider sip or cider slip? Would you let a politician endorse your brand?

Aligning a brand with a political party is a tricky business. Boris Johnson endorses cider, Jo Swinson ethical clothing and Jeremy Corbyn an art gallery.

By Rachel Picken

In my far western corner of the UK, a political turf war is unfolding.

This week, within a 48-hour period, three political party leaders descended on my constituency of Truro and Falmouth.

My social feeds are filled with pictures from my journo and business friends, sharing selfies or snaps of Boris, Jeremy and Jo stomping the Cornish campaign trail.

Yesterday, the image plastered across newspapers and news websites was Boris enjoying a pint of Rattler Cornish Cyder. He sipped it claiming that he’s avoiding alcohol during the election campaign.

Earlier in the week, Jo Swinson was pictured hanging out at the workshops of Finisterre, an ethical clothing brand.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn was snapped stepping out of Falmouth Art Gallery and hosted a rally.

Cornwall’s swing seats up for grabs

Parties and their politicians have everything to play for in Cornwall.

Prior to the 2005 election, Cornwall was Lib Dem yellow across the county, with one Labour constituency in Falmouth and Camborne. By 2015, the Conservatives won all six local seats.

Cornwall is divided on the Brexit issue – as a county we have benefited from hundreds of millions of EU funding to tackle deprivation and increase employment and productivity. Yet during the referendum, we saw a small majority vote leave.

Whilst the politicians have much to gain by getting out and about to real communities, businesses and people, how do brands benefit?

Boris sampled his Rattler cider whilst visiting Healey’s Cyder Farm, which in recent years has undergone a £3.5m development and increased production. Commercial director Joe Healey described the visit as a “massive pat on the back for the whole team”.

Boris in Rattler cider backlash

But what if this very clear brand endorsement backfires?

The Boris story has moved on to his criticism of single mothers, a no show in a Channel 4 climate emergency debate, and discussion over whether he’ll do an interview with Andrew Neil.

My best friend is both firmly liberal in her political views and a huge fan of Rattler cider. At least she was. As a proud, hardworking single parent, she’s sickened to see her political nemesis chugging her favourite tipple.

Our local Reach website, Cornwall Live, covered this and included her quotes. It also reported that Healey’s have taken down a Facebook post about the PM’s visit after it sparked a backlash from followers and customers.

As PR professionals we know there is much more to managing reputation than extensive reach and brand exposure. It’s one thing to welcome an elected MP to visit your business to have your voice heard, but in the run up to an election, it makes a strong statement to your customers.

Chose your political endorsements wisely

If my client got the call requesting a visit from a party leader, I’d be looking closely at their brand or organisation’s stakeholder and customer base. Jo Swinson’s visit to Finisterre felt like a more comfortable brand fit, given their shared agendas for sustainability.

Meanwhile, Healey’s has long aligned itself with the surf scene and festivals with its strapline “Just Chill”, not to mention a fanbase amongst frazzled mums, many of whom proudly fly the flag for single mother status. It’s plain awkward.

If Boris, Jeremy or Jo came knocking on your doorstep as part of their campaign effort, what would you do?

About Rachel Picken

This is a guest blog by Agile PR’s Rachel Picken. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.