It’s time to walk your talk.
Welcome to the Conscious Consumer Era
Consumers want brands to take a stand but you better do more than talk a good game.
It wasn’t too long ago that brands played it neutral when it came to controversial social and political issues. This is no longer the case. Now it seems like brands can’t respond quickly enough. Why the shift?
Consumer expectations.
70%
of consumers believe it’s important for brands to take a public stand on social and political issues.
62%
of consumers want brands to take a stand on social issues because they believe brands can create real change.
But efforts don’t matter if consumers don’t trust you.
Many brands have jumped on the ‘social activism bandwagon’, leaving 53% of all consumers believing brands take o public issues for public relations and marketing purposes - giving way to new terms like:
woke-washing: using social activism as an advertising ploy
rainbow capitalism: taking advantage of the LGBTQ+ movement for sales and marketing purposes.
For brands to win over consumes and avoid being labeled as bandwagoners, companies need to prioritize issues that are relevant and authentic.
Consumers have let brands know just how important it is for them to weigh in on public issues because companies are in a position to enact real change. But employees and executives are also key stakeholders when it comes to effectively taking a stand.
54%
of consumer believe a CEO and their company should hold the same position on public issues.
77%
of consumers say employees should speak up when business decisions contradict company values.
Brands today have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to make a difference and stand for something bigger than themselves.
At the same time however, consumers will hold brands accountable to their commitment and to make good on their promises. The question is no longer “should our company take a stand?” but rather, “how can we maximize and measure our impact?”
RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
THE GUARDIAN Woke-washing brands cash in on social justice. It’s lazy and hypocritical.
SPROUT SOCIAL #BrandsGetReal: Brands Creating Change in the Conscious Consumer Era
CAMPAIGNS OF THE WORLD Dove: Reverse Selfie Help girls positively navigate social media
