Tech company Morning Consult's new report: "CSR and Political Activism in the Trump Era" provides unique and instructive insights on how consumers and other key stakeholders are likely to react to companies taking a stance on, or otherwise becoming actively engaged in, political and social issues. Results are based on the firm's poll conducted in mid-July among a national sample of 2,200 adults - weighted to approximate a target sample based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and geography - with a margin of error of +/-2%.
Here are the authors' survey-informed "rules" that companies are advised to consider:
RULE #1: Have a firm grasp on which issues are winners and losers - Here are three issues that aren't very controversial: civil rights, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ rights. Here are three issues that are: abortion, anthem protesting, and immigration. Gun control is somewhere in the middle. There are, of course, important moral factors that go into deciding what political issues to speak on, but it's always best to understand the stakes.
More specifically, note that advocating for or supporting civil rights and the rights of racial minorities garner the most favorable views of a company relative to a number of other hot button issues.
RULE #2: Don't overthink doing good - The best way to make consumers happy with your brand is pretty simple: Develop a reputation for treating and paying employees well, and create more American jobs when possible. There are plenty of other ways to boost your image, like partnering with charities and being transparent about labor practices, but nothing beats the basics.
Note, however, that 18 - 29 year-olds are much less bothered than the 65+ group about companies' building offices/plants abroad that create jobs and don't eliminate domestic jobs.
RULE #3: Don't talk about Trump - One of the most striking findings in this survey is that speaking about Trump - either positively or negatively - is far more likely to generate backlash than win your brand any favor. For example, saying something negative about Trump leads 56% of Trump voters to have a much less favorable view of your brand, but just 32% of Clinton voters to have a much more favorable view. For every person you're making happy, there are almost twice as many who are unhappy. That trend holds if you issue a positive statement.
More generally, talking about President Trump - whether positively or negatively - is apparently a no-win situation, with just 30% of the public reportedly having a more favorable impression of the company either way.
RULE #4: Most Americans would rather you butt out - Media scrutiny and social media frenzies can skew the conversation. Most people (60%) prefer corporations stick to what they do best, and not get involved in politics. Furthermore, Americans think corporations already have more influence in politics and cultural conversations than they should.
More specifically, note that just 22% of respondents support companies' involvement in these areas; however, Gen-Z (ages 18 - 21) respondents were much more likely than numerous other respondent sub-groups to support company involvement.
Also noteworthy: Aside from good pay, most people say that company ethics is very important when considering a job, although millennials lagged college grad respondents, $100K+ income respondents, and the "all respondents" groups on this score. In contrast, only 13% of respondents said they pay "a lot" of attention to ethical & political matters relating to companies they purchase goods and services from, and - surprisingly in view of the potentially broader implications - 47% said that although they would prefer companies act responsibly and ethically, they are likely to overlook some issues if a company offers a product they like at the right price (another 18% said they didn't know or have an opinion about it).