Consumers Are Increasingly Aware of Brands’ Politics, Morning Consult Survey Reports

Kids with a new babysitter and retailers with any presence anywhere should follow the same advice: behave.

Growing numbers of U.S. adults take notes when brands do (and don’t) act ethically, according to a new Morning Consult survey shared with Retail Brew. 56% of respondents said they pay close attention to brands’ ethical or political stances.

Behavior watch: Shoppers are slightly more likely to abandon a brand over its price tags than over findings from a NYT exposé. 54% of respondents said they’ll overlook a company’s problems if the price is right, though 46% of respondents said they rarely, if ever, continue shopping from “irresponsible brands.”

• The share of respondents who quit brands cold turkey grew to 38% from 26% YoY.

Either way...“Retailers need to align with causes and social priorities that feel authentic, not opportunistic,” Victoria Sakal, managing director of brand intelligence at Morning Consult, told Retail Brew.

Where to start? Sakal suggests focusing on causes like climate change and safe, fair elections.

• It’s in the data: “Across consumer groups, these are also the topics Americans most want companies to take action on—rare given how generational attitudes and political opinions tend to differ these days,” Sakal said.
• Some retailers are already working to build credibility in both areas, from launching employee voting campaigns to experimenting with sustainable materials.