Tiffany Got Political; Should You?

like they have very little to lose.”

But that doesn’t mean that getting political is a good move for other players in the jewelry industry.

“I don’t think it’s smart for anyone to get political these days. I would not do it,” Hansen said, adding that by “anyone” she means brands, jewelry designers and, especially, retailers.

“The country is 50/50, basically, and it’s not smart to take the risk of losing clients when business is already so difficult.”

Bill Gullan, president of Philadelphia-based branding agency Finch Brands, agrees with Hansen on both points--that Tiffany was not taking a big risk with its climate change ad and that retailers, particularly small, independently-owned jewelry stores, should generally avoid injecting politics into their business.

“It’s like [talking about] politics and religion and sex at the dinner table. You really need some restraint here, I think,” he said.

But what if the business owner feels compelled to speak out on an issue because they believe it’s more about speaking up for what’s right than it is about politics?

There were commenters on the Tiffany Facebook post who noted as much about the company’s climate change ad, with one person writing: “Good on you (Tiffany) for taking a stance and expressing it … I don’t think people actually understand that speaking up for climate action is important and it is beyond a mere political stand. It affects everyone. It’s about the future of our home.”

Gullan said he gives his clients two pieces of advice about taking a political stance.

Number one, they should ask themselves: Does the position you’re considering taking map very closely with the values and belief system of your customer base?

Hansen gave this same advice to National Jeweler on Wednesday, reiterating what she said when commenting on Spicer-Greene’s conversation-starting billboard back in March--know your audience.

Gullan said the number two question to ask is: Do you, the brand, have credibility to speak on the issue?

He draws on two commercials that aired during this year’s Super Bowl to illustrate the concept of credibility.

Airbnb aired an ad that was a montage of people of different races, religions, genders and ages that sent a message of acceptance and tolerance. Gullan said as a company that promotes global travel and its clients immersing themselves in different cultures, this was a fine message for Airbnb to send.

Audi’s commercial, meanwhile, expressed its support for equal pay for equal work and was roundly criticized. It’s a message that seemingly came out of nowhere for the car company, a company, Gullan pointed out, that does not have a single woman on its board.

“Go for it, speak your truth, do you, but understand there are risks in terms of how your customers feel and react,” he said.

“Brands needs to be careful. There’s a lot of raw nerves and live wires about this stuff.”