Having originally scoffed at it as an empty “woke” gesture, the UK’s Tory government then scrambled to back the English football team “taking the knee”. This is a fine example of a brand trying to get back on the right side of public opinion. It turns out that the majority of English people – and particularly the young – agree with Marcus Rashford, who is a far more potent adversary to Boris Johnson than Keir Starmer.
Like all brands, the Tories live and die in the court of public opinion, and public opinion shifts. Just ask Fianna Fáil. Being on the right side of these cultural swings is essential for any brand.