• by Philip Rosenstein , March 31, 2017

The new Progressive Ad Council has embarked on a thought experiment. It is bringing together progressive brand and digital professionals to address challenges in the marketplace.

Among the questions the informal group is trying to answer: What is the progressive brand? How do we craft brand messaging to affect political change?

PAC includes a number of executives in the branding world, including Jeff Goodby, chairman of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Kate Rothen, COO of SS+K NY, who worked on both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns, as well as various advertising, marketing and publishing pros.

The organization began in an effort to find similarities between the values of the quintessential “American brand” and those of the Left.

While the values of liberal politics are more involved with moral and social imperatives versus selling a brand -- there are overlaps. Terms or attributes that are both truly American and Left progressive include: liberty, equality, opportunity and determination.

If brands with a progressive mission put such principles into action, they anticipate a positive impact — inside and outside their respective companies. For instance, in October 2016, Starbucks’ CEO raised the minimum wage and doubled company stock awards for employees with two+ years of service. Altogether, these changes boosted total compensation between 5% to 15% for all workers.

For Starbucks, such moves reflect the economic activism of many of its customers, while underscoring the larger opportunity theme.

(Separately, on the global front, Uniqlo announced today it may leave the United States if President Trump insists the company make all its clothes in America. Uniqlo currently has 51 stores in the U.S. Tadashi Yanai, the head of Fast Retailing Co., which owns Uniqlo, said the company plans to open at least 20 more stores this year, although it's watching how Trump and Congress handle international trade. CNN noted that experts are concerned; if Uniqlo, a U.S. employer, and other companies pull out of America, that could make life even tougher for many struggling shopping malls.)

For American companies, J.G. Sandom, former director of interactive at Ogilvy & Mather, and a member of the Progressive Ad Council, sees a powerful alliance between the power of patriotism and progressive branding. He imagines that brands can “leverage” that feeling, and tie it to products. In so doing, it can “reinforce emotional transference.”