Americans Skeptical of Socially Responsible Brands
Thu, Oct. 28, 2021
By Jon Gingerich
Americans want companies to practice empathy but remain skeptical of brands’ motives when they take a public stance on social or political issues, according to a recent survey.
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The Rockefeller Foundation has hired SKDKnickerbocker for a communications campaign to educate the public about the impact of the expanded Child Tax Credit that was part of president Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
According to a study, consumers’ buying decisions are less influenced by a company’s mission and values and remain primarily driven by the product or service that company provides, suggesting that purpose, for all its perceived importance in marketing today, has its limits.
Finn Partners has landed US AOR duties for The Body Shop, marketer of sustainable skincare, haircare and make-up products.
Companies are now expected to go beyond social responsibility and into social activism, but a challenge arises surrounding when and how to communicate an organization’s values. (1 comment).
Portland PR is working to raise the profile of France’s Agence Française de Developpement, which promotes sustainable development projects throughout the world, in the English-speaking media.
Eric Hollister Williams, managing principal at Precision Strategies, has joined Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company with a long record of social responsibility and environmental activism.
Edelman, Ogilvy, Current Global, MSL, Havas, and Flowers Communications Group are part of "By Chicago. For Chicago" campaign to donate one percent of staff hours to groups working to improve life in the Windy City.
Edelman to pitch Australia's Minderoo Foundation and its initiatives to highlight prevalence of modern slavery of women and girls and its effort to promote healthy oceans.
SKDKnickerbocker is handling the NAACP’s “Power of 5—Community Voter Outreach Program” to distribute informational materials on voting in areas with high concentrations of Black people.
"COVID-19 has prompted CEOs to meaningfully re-consider purpose as a key driver of corporate success, both today and in the future,” says Bill Thomas, global CEO of KPMG International.
BerlinRosen has recruited Kiara Pesante Haughton, communications director at the Civil Rights Corps, for the senior VP of issue advocacy slot.
Verizon has jumped on the stakeholder capitalism bandwagon via its "Citizen Verizon" responsible business plan based on the tenets of climate protection, human prosperity and digital inclusion.
Environmentalists scored a major victory at Chevron's annual meeting as shareholders supported a resolution to determine if the oil company's lobbying aligns with the Paris Climate Agreement's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming.
HP's Nate Hurst will join Wells Fargo & Co. on June 1 to direct its newly combined corporate responsibility, philanthropy, community relations and sustainability organization.
A majority of public relations professionals think activists are becoming more influential every year, but relatively few believe their organizations are especially prepared to respond to an activist attack.
Climate change now leads as the single greatest issue facing corporate brands today, according to an annual analysis by strategy firm High Lantern Group.
A growing percentage of consumers today are paying attention to companies’ stances on social, environmental and political issues, according to a new report.



















