As the resident Patriots fan of CivicScience, I’m ecstatic. However, I do acknowledge that the majority of you are probably not sharing in my joy. Maybe next time…
Admittedly, my reasons for watching the game weren’t exactly about football. The real drivers were: 1) Lady Gaga and 2) the commercials. I haven’t even had time to process the brilliance of the former, so for now let’s just stick to the commercials.
While some fell flat on their faces, others stood out among the crowd. One in particular stood out to me. In the thick of the game, with a seemingly inevitable Falcons victory, Audi aired its commercial focusing on the gender pay gap. While sitting among friends, we watched as a football game turned in a very real and hard-hitting narrative:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6u10YPk_34&feature=youtu.be
Some didn’t find the commercial so positive, while others have been taking to social media to praise Audi for its very public stance.
But, will this praise turn into action (i.e. more customers)?
Though it’s too early to tell if there has been any change in sentiment towards Audi, we can begin to take a look through another lens. How do Audi fans and non-fans feel about companies speaking up on political issues?
Among the general population (Adults 18+) here’s what we found:
17% of Audi fans do think that brands/companies should publicly comment on politics, which is the same among all U.S. adults. Only 14% of non-fans believe the same.
However, it’s clear that this commercial was geared specifically towards women, and to a lesser degree, parents. So, let’s focus on them.
Sentiment Among Women
Here, we can see that roughly 1 in 5 women, who aren’t fans of Audi, think that brands/companies should publicly comment on politics. Those who do favor Audi and think that companies/brands should comment on politics remain at 17%. This might be great news for the German car brand. Perhaps its Super Bowl commercial will help bring in women who aren’t currently Audi fans.
Sentiment Among Parents
Exactly 1 in 5 parents who are fans of Audi believe that brands/companies should publicly comment on politics. Further, 17% of parents who aren’t fans of Audi believe the same.
And lastly, we see come to this concrete insight:
Out of all U.S. adults, those who are “Very likely” to buy or lease a new car in the next 90 days are much more likely than the general population to say that brands/companies should publicly comment on politics. This is an observation that all car brands might want to keep in mind.
Interested in other insights? Check out our list of 8 other brands that may want to get involved in politics, or our recent post showing how the NFL might be in trouble.
