Everyone Choose Sides
Bubba
11 Sep
The growing political divide in America extends even to our shopping choices. (WSJ)
A new Wall Street Journal analysis: The audience for various mainstream consumer products often skews left or right, according to data from consumer research firm MRI-Simmons.
Women’s clothing: Wrangler customers tend to lean Republican, while Dolce & Gabbana’s clientele leans heavily Democratic.
Men’s clothing: Armani wearers lean heavily Democratic, whereas Carhartt’s customers lean moderately Republican.
Booze: Coors drinkers lean right, while Korbel Champagne fans lean moderately Democratic.
Soft drinks: Diet Mountain Dew drinkers like J.D. Vance lean Republican, while Democrats are more likely to crack open a Snapple.
Restaurants: Starbucks enjoyers lean mildly Democratic, while you’re more likely to encounter Republicans in a Cracker Barrel.
Wall Street Journal reporter Dante Chinni:
For some companies, this is the result of a marketing strategy that evokes conservative or liberal ideas and images. For others, it is the result of having locations or distribution in a particular geographic area, such as heavily blue cities or red small towns.
Related: A May 2024 Ipsos poll found that what people buy is linked to their political views.
Zoom out: Democrats and Republicans have been growing further apart ideologically for years now.
Bubba’s Two Cents
We’ve written before about the rise of right-leaning parallel economies, which aim to tap into conservative Americans’ frustration with corporations taking political stances (usually on the side of progressive causes). I think this is also a result of every facet of American life becoming politicized (schools, banks, sports). I’m certainly not blaming these right-leaning companies for trying to address consumers’ dissatisfaction, but it’s probably not healthy or sustainable in the long run for us to operate as two completely separate Americas.