Politics has always had a place in boardrooms, usually in the form of donations or quiet lobbying. That is nothing new. What is new is the obsession with turning every brand into a political soapbox. Instead of focusing on products and services, many companies now insist on shoving their politics into ads, packaging, and even customer service. They alienate half their audience in the process, forgetting that customers came to buy sneakers or soda, not get a campaign speech.