Trendspotting: Brands That Transcend the Partisan Divide

NewsWire: 6/22/22

• According to a new brand reputation ranking, certain grocery brands poll well among both Democrats and Republicans. This is, admittedly, an exception to the general rule--that top brands show a wide partisan shopping divide. (Axios)
• NH: A couple of years ago, we wrote a NewsWire on the polarization of consumer culture. (See "Shopping Along the Partisan Divide.”) We noted that the red-blue brand divide was wide and getting wider. But according to a new Axios/Harris poll on the reputations of the 100 most visible companies in America, some brands transcend the partisan divide. 
• Democrats and Republicans both give a couple of grocery stores high reputation scores. Trader Joe's is the fourth most trusted brand by Democrats and the fifth most trusted by Republicans. H-E-B, a Texas and Mexico-based grocer, is the tenth most trusted by Dems and second most trusted by Reps. Why the high scores? These are companies people visit every week and are rooted in local communities. And they're not known for taking political stances.  

• Perhaps the most surprising brand Democrats and Republicans agree on is Patagonia. The company is known for its left-leaning corporate culture. It often donates to environmental causes and has gone to war with the GOP. In 2021, Patagonia stopped selling products at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort when the owner of the ski mountain held a fundraiser for the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Perhaps rural Republicans look past the company's politics because they know it makes quality outdoor gear.
• A similar story might also be told for Hershey and Apple. While Hershey, a traditional Americana favorite, is a natural for red-zone families, its brand is so coveted by all kids that blue-zone parents have little choice but to go along. Apple leans to the blue zone, but--like Patagonia--enough red zoners can't live without iPhones or MacBooks that they too salute the brand.
• Of course, most brands still sort strongly by political affiliation. Republicans highly rank Chi-fil-A and Hobby Lobby. These are both brands known for their conservative values. Republicans also highly rate Tesla (TSLA), probably because Elon Musk recently became a conservative icon. (Tesla ranked fourth among Democrats in 2021 but fell to 47th in 2022.)
• As for Democrats, they highly rank brands like Nike (NKE) and Pfizer (PFE). Nike is known for its liberal advertisements like the campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. And while Pfizer may represent Big Pharma, its popularity is probably linked to support for the Covid-19 vaccine. (See “Covid-19 Reveals Deep and Familiar Divides.”)