Several years ago, companies taking a stand on socially and politically charged issues was par for the course. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, social reckonings and natural disasters, consumers demanded brands take action.
In a flash, brands went from “staying out of it” to being at the center of social media activism. Companies rolled out corporate social responsibility initiatives and lengthy statements. They were quick to respond to any timely conversations tied to social issues (or risked being cancelled), and never missed an opportunity to promote the ways they were “solving” those issues.
But is activism still impactful if it’s tied to self-promotion and selling products? Consumers began to see brand activism as performative. Most people today wish brands would stop taking a stand on socially and politically charged issues, and focus on the quality of their products and customer feedback instead.
While that doesn’t mean brands should be completely agnostic to world events, it does mean companies should be extremely intentional if and when they speak out. The rest of the time, they should focus on what they can control.
As Nathan Jun Poekert, CMO of General Idea and executive consultant, pointed out in our recent Navigating Social Media Management in an Election Year webinar, “Unless you can directly address the source of the problem, it doesn’t benefit your brand to put out a statement.”
Keep reading to learn how influencers play a role in the future of brand activism, and what you should consider before taking a stand.
Do consumers want companies to take a stand on social issues?
The brand activism pendulum has swung back to where it started. Consumers no longer want brands to speak out about social issues. More than 60% of US consumers want companies to stay out of politically charged conversations, up 10% from 2022. Interestingly, political conservatives are most likely to say they wish brands would remain mum—though even liberals are also growing tired of corporate activism.
By taking firm stances, brands are at risk of alienating audiences across the political spectrum, and the potential backlash is too significant to justify. Plus, the rewards are slim. According to The Sprout Social Index™, just 25% of consumers find brands who speak out about causes particularly memorable.
Influencers step in as corporate activism proxies
The vacuum left behind by brand activism is being filled by influencer activism. According to a Q2 2024 Sprout Pulse Survey, 87% of all consumers agree they expect influencers to speak out about causes that align with their values and take a stand on social—with Gen Z and Millennials even more likely to agree.
While this lessens the pressure on companies, influencer-led activism carries its own brand safety risks. Many influencers are ill-prepared to speak out about most politically and socially charged issues, and some have unflattering digital footprints that could come back to haunt them. Which can quickly become a crisis for brands. The Q2 Pulse Survey found that almost half of consumers will unfollow a brand who partners with an influencer that doesn’t align with their values.
The bottom line is that any political or social stances your brand (or the influencers you work with) take should feel true to your ethos. Publicity stunts and cheap self-promotion will be sniffed out. Here’s a framework for deciding when an issue is right for your company to address.
A framework for deciding when to take a stand
To be clear, in most cases we don’t recommend brands take stances on social issues. Jun Poekert didn’t mince words when he offered his perspective: “I advise most brands that they shouldn’t actively be part of the narrative surrounding global events.”
But, there are a handful of times when you should. For example, if an event directly impacts your community. Read on for the questions to ask before releasing a statement and examples of specific instances that defy best practices.
Assess your brand and industry
There are some industries where participation in global conversations makes sense based on your mission. For example, brands in the nonprofit sector may choose to speak about legislation that harms their communities. When creating political posts, these organizations should center impact over political affiliation, and focus on facts over feelings.
For brands in other industries—like retail, tech or tourism—the general consensus is to stay quiet, unless your audience urges you to speak out. Holding back can be difficult when you have strong personal feelings. But a knee-jerk reaction could repel members of your audience on both sides of an issue.
Jun Poekert warns, “You’re far more likely to cause damage by getting politically involved. If you alienate or agitate your audience, you’re more likely to lose them for a very long time.”
Understand your audience’s expectations
As mentioned, most consumers don’t want brands to express political and social opinions. Full stop. The times when audiences do want brands to make a statement will be the exception, not the rule.
“Many brands who have inserted themselves into culturally or politically-charged issues have found themselves in social media takedowns. You will risk receiving magnitudes of social media backlash. Can your business survive that?” Jun Poekert asks.
Brands must pay close attention to their audiences. Generally, consumers only want brands to act when a social issue directly concerns the brand’s community, products or services.
Jun Poekert explains that social is a source of truth that uncovers brand crises in the making: “Social listening tools help you investigate specific topics, keywords and sentiment analysis trends to understand existing conversations and how they involve your brand. This is helpful for catching potential brand crises early. Like beauty brands who have been criticized for having non-inclusive shade ranges.”
Unpack the direct impact on people
If your company (including its physical locations, employees, supply chain, etc.) is directly impacted by an event or issue, you should put out a statement and act. Again, centering humans is critical.
“You always want to approach it as supporting people—your customers, employees, communities. Don’t support a specific political party or entity, support people,” Jun Poekert adds.
A solid crisis communication plan can help you fine-tune your messaging before disaster strikes and hit the right notes with your audience. Having action plans and statement outlines prepared ahead of time prevents small incidents from spiraling into larger crises.
3 examples of companies taking a stand to learn from
While the framework above can apply to many situations, there is no one-size-fits-all playbook for brand activism. Lean on your mission, values and identity for guidance. Here are three brands to look to for inspiration.
Patagonia: Saving our home planet
Outdoor company Patagonia was named the most respected brand in the US. Everything they do goes back to their mission: “We are in the business to save our home planet.” That extends to their digital channels and social media presence. As Lauren Henshaw, Digital Community and Impact Manager of Patagonia Europe, put it, “We are always asking ourselves: How do we use digital channels in ways that are mission and value-aligned?” For the brand, that includes taking a stand against legislation that harms the Earth and preventing over-consumption.
During Sprout’s webinar, How Patagonia Leads from a Foundation of Authenticity and Community, Henshaw explained, “In Patagonia’s community, we are trying to connect people to conscious consumption, activism, and outdoor adventures and sports. Our focus isn’t on ROI. We’re more concerned with the long-term success of something that is immeasurable: Our reputation, credibility and mission to save the home planet.”
Apply it: With a mission as politically and socially stapled as Patagonia’s, speaking out about environmental justice isn’t an afterthought or greenwashing. Patagonia has a proven track record of grassroots environmental efforts, generous donations, education around public lands and enabling community members to take action.
To go all-in on corporate activism efforts, it’s imperative to do the work that backs up your statements, partner closely with organizations on the frontlines and incorporate your guiding ethos into everything you do.
Glossier: Getting out the vote
Glossier is uniquely positioned to talk about social and political issues affecting women. The beauty brand has an all-female C-suite, and women make up much of its core demographic. Glossier speaks openly about their support for women’s rights and champions women’s votes.
They recently brought back the “I’m Voting” sticker campaign to encourage their audience to vote in the 2024 US presidential election.
The brand doubled-down with an OOH advertising campaign that is both a promotion for their “You” fragrance and a message to voters in swing states. The women-led brand has become firmer in their stance on women’s health issues in the past several years. But, it’s worth noting that comments sections on their mostly bipartisan, slightly progressive-leaning posts do take a contentious turn.
Apply it: Glossier’s recent activations demonstrate how brands can speak out about issues affecting their audience without overt political affiliation. While it’s a thin line to tread, Glossier succeeded by leading with an agnostic issue (i.e., encouraging women to register to vote). If it makes sense for your brand to speak out on a topical, controversial issue, find a way to appeal to the masses rather than excluding segments of your audience. You might still catch some flack, but much less.
The Innocence Project: Empowering activism
Nonprofit organization The Innocence Project uses social media to encourage activism that leads to exonerations of the wrongfully incarcerated.
As Meghan Nguyen, Digital Associate at the Innocence Project, told us, “Back in 2022, we were trying to get a woman named Melissa Lucio off of death row in Texas. We activated our followers to call politicians to urge them to take her off of death row. Two days before her execution date, they offered an indefinite stay of execution. We couldn’t have done it without our followers and influencers. We have seen how impactful social media is for fostering live-saving connections.”
Social isn’t just a distribution channel, it’s at the forefront of The Innocence Project’s overall strategy. It’s where they share the latest news regarding exonerations, encourage followers to make donations, volunteer or call lawmakers, and create massive real-time awareness that saves innocent lives.
Apply it: Nonprofit organizations like The Innocence Project are political by nature. By using hard facts to educate their audience and human-led storytelling, the organization succeeds at amplifying its work and mission, without alienating would-be supporters.
There’s still a place for intentional brand activism
When it comes to addressing social issues, companies must tread thoughtfully—balancing authenticity with audience expectations.
While activism can enhance credibility for some brands, missteps or performative gestures can quickly erode trust. The framework shared in this post provides clear guidance: Focus on issues that directly impact your community, center people, and align your actions with your mission and values.
Ultimately, staying informed through social listening and preparing proactive crisis communication plans ensures your brand remains grounded in purpose and resilient in the face of scrutiny.
Looking for step-by-step instructions for implementing sophisticated social listening? Consult our social media newsroom model guide and template.
