New research conducted by Gallup and Bentley University finds consumers’ desire for companies to weigh in on current events and sociopolitical topics has fallen as brands such as Bud Light increasingly find themselves caught in the culture war crossfire.
According to the research, 41% of Americans say businesses in general should take stances on current events, which is a decrease from 48% in 2022, with declines found across all age and ethnic groups, according to the survey.
However, deeper down, the survey’s findings illustrate the increasing complexity that marketers face in navigating a divided society. They also hint at opportunities for businesses to meet consumers’ growing demands in other areas.
Gallup found, for example, that most young, Black, and Asian consumers still want brands to speak out on issues that matter to them. Most respondents overall said businesses should speak out on the specific issues of climate change and mental health.
Eighty-eight percent of respondents said businesses have some power or a great degree of power to make a positive impact on people’s lives. But only 8% believe they have been extremely effective in doing so, with 50% saying they have been somewhat effective.
“Most U.S. adults think businesses are not delivering on the core functions of what they think a business is for,” said Zach Hrynowski, a research consultant at Gallup. “That feeds into why people are less likely to want to hear from businesses, because they just don’t trust them.”
A few controversial topics do inspire something approaching consensus. Fifty-five percent of respondents in the Gallup survey said brands should speak out on sustainability. That may be because businesses have a more demonstrable effect on climate change than on other sociopolitical matters, said Hrynowski, the Gallup research consultant.