Should companies take a stand on social issues?

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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 taiwan mobile database 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.