The silence of the lambs

While London endures another sunless winter, it’s high summer down under, and barbie season is in full swing. Droga5 has just released a clever new ad urging Australians to throw some lamb cutlets on the grill. Titled 'The Comments Section', the ad hilariously skewers the toxic nature of online discourse with sharp observational humour. It’s both laugh-out-loud funny and uncomfortably familiar. Does it sell lamb? That’s harder to say. Personally, I can think of more unifying rituals than eating baby animals - but what do I know? I’m neither Australian nor vegetarian.

What’s undeniable is that the ad raises a deeper question: how should brands communicate in an increasingly noisy, polarised world? Haters gonna hate. What you gonna do?

Should brands pick a side and embrace the inevitable backlash, as Nike did with its 'Dream Crazy' Colin Kaepernick campaign or Oreo with its 'Proud Parent' ad? For challenger brands, this strategy can deepen loyalty among core audiences, but it’s a riskier move for market leaders, who by definition need to build the largest possible tent.

Alternatively, should brands chase the loudest voices in the room, bending to whoever holds the megaphone today? (yes, Mark Z, we mean you) The danger is obvious: when the wind shifts, so does the megaphone.

When things go wrong, owning up to mistakes can be effective. Carlsberg’s admission that they were “Probably not the best beer in the world” in 2018 or Airbnb’s reversal of its no-refund policy during COVID are proof that honesty, paired with real change, can turn critics into advocates. But this isn’t a strategy for the everyday; it’s a one-time "get out of jail" card for major crises.

Perhaps the smartest strategy is to ignore the noise altogether and plough your own furrow. Brands like Patagonia or Apple don’t chase approval or jump on every trend. They’re guided by principles so clear and deeply held - whether environmentalism or privacy - that they’re willing to sacrifice short-term gains in profit or popularity for long-term trust. The loudest voices don’t always represent the majority, and when the noise dies down, it’s those who stayed true to themselves who earn lasting loyalty.