I remember the sage advice from my father: "In business never discuss politics and religion. You'll lose customers." Having spent a lifetime (it seems) in sales and marketing, I sense the world changing and not just because fundamental beliefs have become the fulcrum of the geopolitical spectrum. Even in a day-to-day way we seem more ideologically driven. The line of social neutrality has shifted to a more values-oriented view of the world in general. To put it in a nutshell: if you can't articulate your values succinctly in a meeting by the water-fountain you become irrelevant.

If so, should marketers extend the boundaries of their message to matters that are more ideological (encompassing politics, religion, ethics, morals and social issues)? If customer-centric marketing means realigning your product, service or brand to your customer's values, do you ignore the most profound values that your customers embrace? Has the "no politics and religion" axiom fallen off its axis?

Within comfort zones, marketers in Canada keep their antennae attuned to ethnic and multicultural foci. Alongside Xmas comes Happy Kwansa, Happy Chanukah. The proliferation of foreign language newspapers and magazines are media hot-spots for companies large and small to make a connection with a customer in a more focused setting. Do these tentative tiptoes have any lasting value? Not without something more tangible. A relationship requires commitment and the demonstration of that commitment to an audience that has deep-rooted values must go deeper if it is going to penetrate. But how deep do you dare?

The initiative for this article came from two sources: first, it is almost time for Passover. There is no time in the year that Jews spend more money on one event. Retail value-wise Passover is the Jewish Xmas. Other cultures and religions that are more numerous have their own seasons and times producing even greater market potential. Where is the motivation in marketers today to align with and capitalize on core cultural, moral and religious values in a non-partisan framework? Days are long past that Coke put a smile on the face of every child in the world and Benetton tried to be the world's multi-cultural icon.

The other source was hearing George Bush Jr. in his press conference about Tony Snow: Bush said he "received a call from Tony this morning, and his attitude is that he is not going to let this whip him.. he's upbeat. My attitude is.. we should pray for him.".

When politics and religion are so ensconced in a country's framework of values, when do marketers take hold of the initiative and adapt their marketing messages to appeal to these core values? The marketplace of religion and politics are in a parrallel expansion mode. Even the shrine of social liberalism, the realm of Academia, is shifting ground as its consitutuency brings more ethnic and religious members to its faculty. I would conjecture that the only 'religion' that is in freefall decline is Atheism.

Change will worry some and be an opportunity for others. In the realm of customer-centric marketing I am watching to see which global brand or conglomerate will be the first to take the plunge to try and leverage the equity within a customer relationship that embraces its core values and ideologies without being partisan. As we say "In Touch Marketing it's all about the execution."

The questions are sometimes more important than the answers. Politics and religion are 'happening' issues. As marketers, do we pass it by or make it work?