Blunt Razor Burn

Why oh why do so many companies fall into this trap these days?

In the case of many, it is reported as when someone relatively fresher into the workplace mistakenly feels that updating their employer's social media allows them to be a political activist.

Hint: it does not.

In the really catastrophic cases, it is where those running the business - founding it, even - insist it acceptable, nay expected, that they proselytise how they see things politically.

Again as above; No.

It is deceptively simple to adhere to the correct route. Navigating a path away from any contentious cause du #trending and towards solely how you help your treasured customers facing the concern you resolve for them.

There are naturally issues which can transcend.

Democracies being invaded by murderous tyrannical dictators (Ukraine, Taiwan, we are with you). We're worryingly consuming more resources than Gaia can sustainably provide (aspirational co-existence can be rebooted). Equality of opportunity (spare us the shibboleths of corrupting 'critical race theory' hard Left revisionists - as repulsive as their fellow extreme dwellers on the hard Right - and those aligned who wish to divide, not unite, us).

See what I did there?

Now you sense the stumbling blocks?

Let's take the final line of that above para. Some in charge of brand tweetdecks won't accept that. Yet the sheer fact that plurality of opinion exists - and in this case others to which the vast majority of decent-minded people across the entire spectrum subscribe - can be lost on those with their fingers on the keys.

Then the middle one. Even with this, surely almost all agree in the perils of over-consumption (28 July was apparently 2022's Earth Overshoot Day). Yet crucially, ways in and levels of which to abate and rebalance the issue are wide ranging.

And the first. What should anyone care provided they can still get a $2 t-shirt?

Imagine if I'd have added a fourth example.

Define what is a woman (wow)...

Other topics of equally explosive detonation await your ^SignOff.

Sometimes it is noble to stand for something. Other times - like dare I say when selling male grooming products - said stand can be happily subdued.

Despite being the young upstarts trying to re-order the billion-dollar spoils for truly 'the best a man can get', Harry's Razors have managed to alienate almost everybody.

If seemingly choosing 'a side' in American politics was not enough - one random Facebook comment citing a famous athlete with their name on sporting footwear, along the lines of 'all voters wear shoes', summed it up - then those of alternate opinion wailed against this ad copy below, and offence taken from it that the issue remixed ought not be taken lightly;

the last thing you need is a cost-of-shaving crisis.

Well. I newsjack all the time. And memejack and adjack.

So I was kinda cool with this cheeky remixing.

Yet I do get it.

The political football of currently labelled 'cost-of-living crisis' is absolutely one of those contentious issues that pervades from time to time.

Half your possible customers will think you're rubbing in that they suddenly have too much month left at the end of their money. Another half will scold you for short-termism of making light of protecting freedom by decoupling from China and standing up to Putin. And a further half will berate you for not instead focusing on something, anything that actually means more to them personally.

Yet the irony is that it's a pretty decent strapline.

Is it also misguided that the label Hate Speech be applied to regular stances with which you do not happen to agree?

Imagine this. You swap out 'living' like they did. Rather than 'shaving', what is your (customers') '-ing'?

Take my present endeavours; Video Calls That Sell. If I chose to major on helping salesteams do more live calls on video, in part to become more productive by spending less time on the road, then could I too use something like;

the last thing you need is a cost-of-selling crisis.

Maybe not, but you get the idea.

If what you offer may well end up saving a client money - especially if you charge a premium which allows consequent larger aggregation of several previously suffered costs to disappear - then you're bound to be able to mobilise an -ing.

Might it make for at least an interesting conversation starter on how you save people money?

Just check that what you might think sharp, is not in fact, blunt.