The Worst Time to Play It Safe
I’ve noticed over the past 30 years that every time economic confidence softens, there’s a predictable response from the marketing world. Messages get broader. Language gets warmer. The sharp, defining edges come off because organizations decide this isn’t the moment to take risks, so they quietly make their messaging acceptable to everyone.
But in Maine, that instinct tends to backfire. And our research shows why.
The most recent report from the Maine Insights Lab puts a number to something Maine business leaders probably already know intuitively. Mainers will enthusiastically recommend this state as a place to live — Net Promoter Score of +38. Ask those same people whether they’d recommend Maine as a place to start or grow a business, and that number drops 37 points to barely positive (+1). Same people. Same state. Two very different answers.
And that gap doesn’t respond well to broad, reassuring messaging. It actually makes it wider.
This Moment Calls for More Precision, Not Less
Here’s what the data shows about each of the three Maine mindsets right now and why playing it safe with your messaging is likely to cost you more than it saves.
Proud Mainers come into this moment already on your side. Their Business NPS is +24, meaning they’re generally optimistic about Maine’s ability to sustain a business. But their support isn’t unconditional. It’s built on what they already know and trust about you. When organizations shift toward broader, more aspirational language — trying to appeal to a wider audience — Proud Mainers notice. They don’t push back loudly. They just quietly start reconsidering. And in a market where trust is built slowly, and word travels fast, that quiet reconsideration is something you want to catch before it becomes a pattern.
The move with Proud Mainers right now isn’t reassurance. It’s reinforcement. Tenure. Local presence. The specific things your organization has actually delivered. That’s not playing it safe, that’s speaking their language with intention.
Change Seekers are the most naturally open audience in the Maine market. Their Business NPS sits at +14, and they’re generally receptive to forward-looking messages. But in an uncertain economy, their threshold for proof goes up. Optimistic language alone doesn’t move them the way it might in a more confident moment. They need to see that the momentum you’re signaling is real. If your organization has something genuine to point to, a real initiative, a concrete outcome, actual forward motion, this is the moment to be specific about it. The Change Seeker who sees an organization moving with clarity and confidence, especially when everything else feels murky, will pay attention.
And then there are Disparagers. At 37% of the Maine population, they hold a Business NPS of -32. Nearly half are actively discouraging others from seeing Maine as a place to build or grow a business. Most organizations make peace with this audience by simply not prioritizing them. But in a turbulent economy, that calculation can get really expensive. Disparagers are skeptical by default, and uncertainty gives their skepticism more to work with. Vague, reassuring messaging hands them exactly the kind of unsubstantiated claim they’re primed to distrust and dismiss.
Here’s what’s worth knowing about Disparagers, though. They’re actually reachable. They don’t need to be charmed. They need to be shown something real — specific outcomes, transparent practices, and proof that the claim being made has something behind it. An organization willing to show its work, when others are retreating into safe generalities, stands out to a Disparager in a way that polished brand language never will. And when you earn a Disparager’s confidence, they become vocal advocates. That’s not a small thing in a state where word of mouth still drives more decisions than most advertising budgets.
The Question Worth Asking
None of this requires a new campaign or a messaging overhaul. It just requires sharper questioning of what you’re already putting out there.
Who is this designed to reach first? Does it give Proud Mainers a reason to stay loyal? Does it give Change Seekers something concrete enough to believe? Does it give Disparagers any actual evidence, or is it asking them to take something on faith?
In a stable economy, messaging that can’t fully answer those questions can still perform adequately. In this one, the gap between precise and broad will show up in results before most organizations figure out what’s driving the difference.
This is not the moment to soften your edges. It’s the moment to sharpen them.