More Americans Want Brands To Get Political

Americans have held mixed feelings in recent years about brands taking public stances on social and political issues. This puts brands in a bind. On one hand, years of research strongly suggest that Americans don’t want brands to remain neutral on political and social issues. But when brands make statements that consumers don’t agree with, it can seriously affect their bottom line.

While a majority of Americans believe that companies should remain neutral on political and social issues, recent data from market research giant Ipsos suggests that sentiment has changed in the last year, with more Americans now claiming they want brands to take a stand on political issues.

Most Americans (57 percent) still believe companies should remain neutral on social issues, according to Ipsos, a number that has remained unchanged since Ipsos asked Americans the same question last year. In fact, the percentage of Americans who think companies should remain neutral on social issues has grown in recent years, as only 52 percent agreed with this sentiment in 2023, only 45 percent agreed in 2022 and only 42 percent agreed in 2021. And a similar number (56 percent) also said they think that companies should remain neutral on political issues as well.

The issue is complicated, however. The Ipsos poll highlighted that the number of Americans who said they want brands to remain neutral on political issues was seven points higher last year (63 percent) than today, suggesting that more Americans are coming around when it comes to wanting brands to play a role in our political discourse.

Moreover, while only about a third of all Americans (34 percent) believe that companies should participate in activism on social media, that number too is actually much higher than it was last year, when only about a quarter of Americans (26 percent) agreed.

Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) similarly now think it’s appropriate for brands to take a stance on racial-justice issues. This number has consistently grown, from 45 percent in 2024, 43 percent in 2023 and 41 percent in 2022. And even more Americans today (49 percent) said they’re more likely to purchase something from a company that takes a public stand against racism, a figure that has also grown significantly, from 41 percent in 2024, 39 percent in 2023 and 36 percent in 2022.

Similarly, while less than a third (31 percent) of Americans said they’re more likely to purchase something from a company that promotes and celebrates LGBTQ+ pride month, that number too has grown in recent years, as only 28 percent agreed with this statement in both 2023 and 2022 and only 26 percent agreed in 2021.

Americans still don’t like it when brands make statements they disagree with, and that sentiment appears to be growing. More than half (56 percent) said they’re less likely to buy something from a company that takes a stand on a political issue they don’t agree with. That number is higher than it was last year (52 percent) and in years prior (42 percent in 2024, 48 percent in 2023 and 42 percent in 2022). And 53 percent said they’re less likely to buy from a company that takes a stand on a social issue they disagree with, a number that is also higher than it was last year (49 percent) or in 2024 (44 percent).

But more than half (57 percent) said that if a company takes a stand on an issue, it should stick by its decisions even if doing so angers some consumers. This number has also grown from 56 percent in 2025 and 52 percent in 2024.

Finally, the poll discovered that only 13 percent of Americans believe the government should penalize companies whose political or social stances it doesn’t agree with. That number has remained more or less the same since Ipsos began asking this question in 2024.

The Ipsos poll surveyed 1,085 adults in February. The findings were part of the market research company’s Ipsos Consumer Tracker, a biweekly survey that explores consumer views on current events.