A BRAND MANAGER'S DILEMMA IN THE NEW AMERICA
For decades, brand managers could operate with the assumption that political neutrality and brand loyalty were stable factors. The goal posts have shifted. Today, old assumptions no longer hold; contradictions abound.
Ipsos research underscores the complexity of consumer sentiment. While 69% of Americans say they prefer to buy from brands that align with their values, 56% also believe businesses should remain neutral on political issues. This contradiction places brand managers in a precarious position — how can they engage without alienating their consumer base?
If you can’t navigate such complexity, consumer flight is a risk. One in three consumers has stopped purchasing from a brand due to its perceived political stance. This statistic reinforces the danger that misaligned brand messaging will negatively affect market positioning and revenue.
In the new America, business leaders must rethink their approach to brand positioning, ad development, and stakeholder management. Ignore such signals at your own peril.
Politics are motivating consumer behavior
In the past month, have you done any of the following?
Source: Ipsos poll of 1,026 Americans, February 2025
Source: Ipsos poll of 1,026 Americans, February 2025
Listen | Learn | Respond
To succeed in this evolving landscape, businesses need a strategic approach that embraces flexibility, adaptability and multiple tools rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. Companies must be equipped with a broad toolbox that allows them to navigate shifting consumer expectations, regulatory challenges and technological disruptions.
Listen.
Learn.
Respond.
Businesses must invest in real-time consumer research that integrates social and political variables to understand shifting values, economic concerns and cultural expectations. Older segmentation models may be outdated; companies must embrace agile intelligence gathering and refresh their view of the customer to stay ahead.
Insights should drive strategic business decisions. This means aligning operations, messaging and corporate values with the priorities of today’s consumers. Ipsos research shows that brands that demonstrate authenticity, economic commitment and transparency are better positioned to thrive in this new era.
Successful brands will align their operations, messaging and workforce strategies with the emerging consumer mindset while avoiding unnecessary polarization. Given that a majority of consumers are inherently distrustful of institutions, firms must prioritize clear communication and keep the consumer central to the story.
Listen.
Businesses must invest in real-time consumer research that integrates social and political variables to understand shifting values, economic concerns and cultural expectations. Older segmentation models may be outdated; companies must embrace agile intelligence gathering and refresh their view of the customer to stay ahead.
Learn.
Insights should drive strategic business decisions. This means aligning operations, messaging and corporate values with the priorities of today’s consumers. Ipsos research shows that brands that demonstrate authenticity, economic commitment and transparency are better positioned to thrive in this new era.
Respond.
Successful brands will align their operations, messaging and workforce strategies with the emerging consumer mindset while avoiding unnecessary polarization. Given that a majority of consumers are inherently distrustful of institutions, firms must prioritize clear communication and keeps the consumer central to the story.
Strategic adaptability, backed by real-time data, scenario planning and a flexible corporate strategy, will be the foundation for long-term resilience in the new America.
How to know the new America
Ipsos solutions to help your company or organization thrive
Government Efficiency Toolkit (GET): Unlocking government efficiency
The new America demands government services that are as efficient, responsive and user-friendly as the private sector. Ipsos’ Government Efficiency Toolkit helps agencies deliver on this.
Market Pulse: Navigating consumer sentiment in the new America
Ipsos’ proprietary Market Pulse toolkit provides the insights and tools that business leaders and organizations need to navigate the ever-changing American landscape with confidence.
Truth Barometer: Measuring ground truth in the new America
The Ipsos Truth Barometer delivers a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of citizen-consumers, enabling decision-makers to cut through the noise and capture the truth.
Understanding the current issues environment with Ipsos RISE
Ipsos RISE is designed to act as a single source of truth for proactive reputation and risk management, making it an essential tool for brands and institutions navigating an unpredictable issues landscape.
Get deep into the new America with qualitative research
When it comes to human insight about the new America, it’s important to capture depth as well as breadth. Ipsos’ qualitative practice, the largest in the world, keeps the real people at the heart of everything we do.
Adapt your business strategy to the new America
If the American Dream is changing, do you have the right products and services to meet those new needs and goals? The Ipsos Strategy3 growth consultancy can help your business navigate these shifts.
Commercial Measurement: Preparing for economic change
Ipsos MMA's unified commercial measurement enables companies to prepare for uncertainty by integrating external business drivers — including macroeconomic data — into their planning initiatives.
Creative Fuel: Listen & learn earlier in the creative process
Ipsos Creative Fuel can help brands make strategic decisions with confidence and brief their creative agencies with more focus, clarity, and inspiration.
Ipsos Synthesio: Understanding online sentiment on the new America
Ipsos Synthesio can bridge the gap between what people say in surveys and what they reveal through digital behaviors, delivering a new angle on the new America.
Why accessible user experiences are still essential in the New America
Accessible digital products and services are likely to remain both legally mandated and demanded by the public. Ipsos can help
Government Efficiency Toolkit (GET): Unlocking government efficiency
The new America demands government services that are as efficient, responsive and user-friendly as the private sector. Ipsos’ Government Efficiency Toolkit helps agencies deliver on this.
Market Pulse: Navigating consumer sentiment in the new America
Ipsos’ proprietary Market Pulse toolkit provides the insights and tools that business leaders and organizations need to navigate the ever-changing American landscape with confidence.
Truth Barometer: Measuring ground truth in the new America
The Ipsos Truth Barometer delivers a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of citizen-consumers, enabling decision-makers to cut through the noise and capture the truth.
Understanding the current issues environment with Ipsos RISE
Ipsos RISE is designed to act as a single source of truth for proactive reputation and risk management, making it an essential tool for brands and institutions navigating an unpredictable issues landscape.
Get deep into the new America with qualitative research
When it comes to human insight about the new America, it’s important to capture depth as well as breadth. Ipsos’ qualitative practice, the largest in the world, keeps the real people at the heart of everything we do.
Adapt your business strategy to the new America
If the American Dream is changing, do you have the right products and services to meet those new needs and goals? Ipsos Strategy3 can help your business navigate these shifts.
Commercial Measurement: Preparing for economic change
Ipsos MMA's unified commercial measurement enables companies to prepare for uncertainty by integrating external business drivers — including macroeconomic data — into their planning initiatives.
Creative Fuel: Listen & learn earlier in the creative process
Ipsos Creative Fuel can help brands make strategic decisions with confidence and brief their creative agencies with more focus, clarity, and inspiration.
Ipsos Synthesio: Understanding online sentiment on the new America
Ipsos Synthesio can bridge the gap between what people say in surveys and what they reveal through digital behaviors, delivering a new angle on the new America.
Why accessible user experiences are still essential in the new America
Ipsos Creative Fuel can help brands make strategic decisions with confidence and brief their creative agencies with more focus, clarity, and inspiration.