CATÓLICA-LISBON

In an increasingly polarized world, brands are no longer products or services, but active instruments of global influence. In this century, strategic marketing has taken on a dimension that transcends the market: it is increasingly a tool of geopolitical power. When a brand established itself on a global scale, it exports not only economic value – it exports values, lifestyles, and worldviews. 

Apple, for example, remains more than a technology company: it is a banner of liberal individualism and Western design – but it faces growing regulatory pressures in Europe and restrictions in China, reflecting the new technological cold war. Coca-Cola, historical symbol of the American lifestyle, has sought to reposition itself as a promoter of inclusion and sustainability, aware of growing cultural sensitivity in many emerging markets. Tesla, which for years led the energy transition imagination, is going through a period of fluctuating reputation: the figure of Elon Musk, with controversial public interventions and controversial political approaches, has become a geopolitical variable, affecting the perception of the brand in different regions.

This instability has paved the way for the growth of Chinese electric vehicle brands such as BYD, NIO and XPeng, which present themselves and mor affordable technological alternatives. BYD has already surpassed Tesla in global sales, benefiting from strong state support and a fully integrated value chain. 

In digital retail, the Shein phenomenon continues to baffle the West with its radical efficiency and ability to shape tastes using algorithms – raising serious questions about labor practices and environmental impact. And in the media and entertainment sphere, China-based TikTok remains at the center of legal and political disputes in the US and Europe, in a battlefield that is simultaneously economic, cultural and strategic. In contrast, brands such as Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s show that it is possible to align purpose and profit, even if it means breaking with dominant policies or making risky market decisions. 

However, the real terrain where this global battle is being fought in in the world of data. Digital ecosystems such as Google, Meta, and TikTok dominate not only users' attention but also their behavioral information. This data, collected from seemingly mundane behaviors – clicks, likes, shares – feeds algorithms that shape preferences, manipulate perceptions, and ultimately influence political, social, and economic decisions. 

Brands have a responsibility to position themselves with consistency, truth, and respect for fundamental rights, because the opposite comes at a high price. Best practices must go far beyond communication and include how data is collected, managed, and used.  

• Is it acceptable for a brand to promote diversity in its campaigns but use algorithms that reinforce prejudice? 

• Is it ethical to make environmental commitments while using suppliers with questionable practices? 

• What about brands that choose to “remain silent” in contexts of war, climate crisis, or flagrant inequality? Is strategic silence a form of cowardice or a deliberate policy of moral evasion?

In a world where truth is often overshadowed by narratives, brands play a central role in building possible futures. Their influence is no longer just economic – it is symbolic, cultural, emotional, and, increasingly, political. 

The new power of brands lies in their ability to define what is desirable, acceptable, or aspirational for millions of people. It is business leaders and their marketing teams who must take responsibility for using this power ethically, conscientiously, and with vision.  

In the new geopolitical chess game, every campaign, every positioning decision, every choice of partnership is more than a market strategy – it is a stance taken before the world.