How do you make people do what you want? Reading that question in isolation, you might think we’ve been delving into the marketing underworld. But this is what a lot of marketing and politics boils down to.
For Joseph Nye, this is his definition of power. There are two sides to this coin. ‘Hard power,’ where you coerce people through force and ‘soft power,’ where getting people to do what you want by making them want it too.
Have you ever followed a brand on social media because it just seemed cool or aligned with your values? Or bought something because an influencer or friend made it look appealing? Or maybe a movie or show made you see an issue in a new way? Whether you realise it or not, you’ve been exposed to soft power.
For Nye, this concept was coined purely from a political standpoint, but the recent US election has shown us just how linked marketing and politics are. Soft power means brand building. It’s the task of establishing identity and reputation, cultivating influence so that people want to choose your brand over someone else’s. With all that in mind, the recent US election might just have been the biggest marketing exhibition this year.
Two ends of the power scale
The list of positives and negatives from soft power strategies are endless and on all scales.
In Nye’s original application, nation states can exert global influence through cultural means. A recent example would be the ‘K-wave’, the spread of South Korean pop culture through the popularity of K-pop, Netflix hits like Squid Game and Oscar-winning Korean-language films like Parasite and Past Lives. It could be argued that these films might not have shed the most flattering light on the South Korean political environment, but the takeaway here is how people truly connect with the honesty and artistry.
Another example would be North America. Disney, McDonalds and Coca-Cola are perhaps the biggest cultural exports with staggering global expansion. But Disney’s stories arguably promote negative gender, racial, and class stereotypes, while McDonald's and Coca-Cola contribute to the proliferation of unhealthy food and drink habits. It means North America has stapled itself as a cultural powerhouse but has brought with it an increasing global frown on its values.
On a smaller scale, the positives can fully shine true.
Brands are increasingly using their values to inspire positive change. In 2023, Cadbury Fingers encouraged the nation to learn British Sign Language, raising awareness of its importance for connection. Building on their previous "For Fingers Big & Small" campaign, this effort boosted brand awareness while spotlighting the deaf community.
Similarly, Patagonia's legacy of environmental advocacy shines through campaigns like 2011’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” urging consumers to rethink overconsumption during Black Friday. This bold move resonated with their community, who value the brand’s quality and sustainability.
Then on the flip side there’s Pepsi’s Black Lives Matter campaign featuring Kendall Jenner. The less said about that the better.
So, what does this tell us? That increasingly the values and integrity are even more important and if that’s not there, the strategy can explode right back in your face.
Soft power in the presidential race
If only voting was as simple as what’s the best for the country? Now wouldn’t that be nice? In reality, and especially in America, voters picking a politician is often more of a popularity contest.
For Kamala Harris, harnessing soft power was more important because of her late start. She faced a mammoth task up against a man with a hoard of loyal followers who is incredibly skilled in telling people what they want to hear. So, she decided to lean heavily into fandom.
After Harris’ campaign was announced, Charli XCX tweeted ‘Kamala IS brat.’ Harris’ campaign team jumped on Charli XCX’s viral tweet, a powerful cultural endorsement at the time, changing the official @kamalahq twitter page to ‘brat’ green, and making TikToks featuring the most listened tracks.*
Harris also used Beyonce’s song ‘Freedom’ as the soundtrack to her campaign video which embodied her stance on gun violence, abortion and healthcare. She garnered strong support from figures like Michelle Obama and connecting with the energy around Beyoncé’s Beyhive. They are more than just fans. It’s a dedicated, loyal community that celebrates Black female empowerment and cultural pride. By aligning with this fan base, Harris tapped into a network already primed to support voices advocating for equality, representation, and empowerment.
Harris then appeared on Call Her Daddy, famous for candid discussions about sex and being the most listened to podcast by women. Then lastly, and perhaps too last minute, was Harris’ appearance as herself just few days before the election on SNL, America’s Saturday late night comedy show.
These aren’t direct "vote-for-me" tactics. This was soft power at its finest. But we must remember attempts at relevancy can swing both ways. If you haven’t seen Hilary Clinton’s Pokemon Go quip, please do. It’s unintentional comedy at its finest.
Trump also participated in the type of soft power tactics Harris used, and arguably to greater effect. He featured on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, with an audience of 14.5 million Spotify followers and 17.5 million YouTube subscribers, an overwhelmingly young male audience demographic. In the first day after its release, it had 25 million views on YouTube.
It seems that while meeting voters at their level might be an age-old tactic, there has never been such fertile ground for this strategy than in our digital age.
For marketeers, one of the key learnings of the Presidential race is that brand-building takes time. Trust, identity and reputation must be cultivated. They cannot grow overnight.
So how can brands do it?
Soft power can be elusive and intangible. Its impact is difficult to define. There is no doubt that brand-building takes work, but as the Trump and Harris examples show, the power of the brand will always hold strong.
The first takeaway is the need to be authentic. Think Ryanair and not Pepsi and Hilary Clinton. Stay true to yourself and don’t bite off more than you can chew.
The second takeaway is soft power cannot exist in a vacuum. It creates favourable conditions for success, but it does not guarantee it. For a brand, the product, customer service and streamlined operations must run in parallel.
Actionable Takeaways for Brands
So, how can brands cultivate soft power? Here’s what we can learn:
- Stay Authentic: Keep it real. Be like Ryanair, not Pepsi. Stick to your values and don’t pretend to be something you’re not.
- Connect Through Community: Look for genuine ways to engage with cultural movements or communities. When done right, like Cadbury’s British Sign Language campaign, this builds lasting goodwill.
- Use Your Power with Purpose: Soft power works best when it’s meaningful. Ensure your brand values and actions align, as Patagonia does with environmental advocacy. When your actions reflect your words, people trust you more.
- Give Your Brand Time to Grow: Just as it took Harris time to build her campaign, brand trust and reputation need time. Soft power can create favourable conditions, but a strong product, good customer service, and smooth operations must follow.
Conclusion: Food for Thought
In today’s world, where audiences are selective and social consciousness is on the rise, soft power is a must-have for brands that want to be more than just products on a shelf. It’s not about commanding attention; it’s about creating a connection that feels authentic and enduring.
As the lines between personal and brand identities blur, brands face both a challenge and an opportunity: to stand for something meaningful and build trust that outlasts trends. The lesson? Soft power isn’t a shortcut to sales, it’s the groundwork for creating a brand people genuinely care about, one that grows through shared values and mutual respect.
*For anyone who doesn’t know what Brat summer is (we know you do,) it was a trend curated and spearheaded by Charli XCX, to mark the release of her latest album. It’s confidence, epitomised by the ‘party girl’ persona and became the cultural zeitgeist for 2024 summer.