Even in a borderless Trend business world, people are increasingly building walls around their own beliefs. Your message needs to cross territories. By HEATHER The pandemic altered much of the world, messages from their group as true, while WATSON but here’s one thing it didn’t change: messages from opposing groups become anyone’s mind. Walled in for health reasons, threatening. people bunkered down in their minds as well, hardening their opinions and How does this apply to brands and preconceived views. In fact, researchers businesses looking to grow and innovate? have found that the virus has intensified For starters, they must be more calculated brewing societal conflicts, pushing many than ever in their messaging. Even folks from moderate some uplifting brand communications Sixty percent positions to more extreme have clanked amid the tumult. A few of people ones. Sixty percent of well-meaning brands widely advertised say their people say their countries variations of “we’re in it together,” which countries are are now more divided; in the fell flat for a group of people that doesn’t now more U.S., that number rises to share that worldview. For those with an divided 88%. Even certain gestures individual-hierarchical orientation, we’re (like face-mask wearing) certainly not “in it together”—because they became unexpected see policies intended to promote safety for triggers. the group as threatening individual liberty. Call it the Great Polarization. The good news is that businesses can still 3 have a powerful impact both on sales and Why is this so? The real life-or-death on society. A one-size-fits-all approach consequences of the virus heightened what has vast limitations in a such a divided behavioral scientists refer to as in-group- environment—but brands can use more out-group bias. Both online and in person, tailored approaches to influence choices humans sort ourselves into categories—by that carry social and moral implications: hometown, by race, even by eye color—and electric-vehicle purchases, food options strongly prefer their own group. When (meat vs. plants), sustainability choices, and we feel threatened, as in pandemics, this vaccine compliance. It’s all about knowing bias kicks into overdrive. People accept your audience. 13 BUSINESS & GROWTH TRENDS 2022 OGILVY GROWTH & INNOVATION