Despite Mainstream Activism, New Study Shows 3 Out Of 4 Americans Would Forgive A Company For Taking A Stand On A Societal Issue That Goes Against Their Personal Beliefs

More Than Half of All People Acted in Support of a Social Issue in the Past 6 Months; Nearly a Third of Actions Were Directed Towards a Company

News provided by

Ruder Finn

Dec 10, 2019, 09:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study that looks at who is acting, what actions they are taking and why, and how companies may or may not be impacted was released today. The study, Activism is Mainstream, by Ruder Finn, surveyed nearly 9,000 people, found that 53 percent of Americans took an action in support of a social cause over the past six months. Of those who said they acted in support of a societal issue, 68 percent took multiple actions over the past six months, ranging from signing a petition and donating, to participating in a protest. And while most might assume that activism is driven by the younger generation, the study found that people between 35-49 were most active at 30%, followed closely by people between 50-64 at 27%. Millennials (people between 25-34) came next at 21%, and only 9% of Gen Z reported taking recent action.

"Conversations around issues ranging from gun control to climate and everything in between are louder and more passionate than ever, and increasingly calling attention to the role that individuals and organizations play in addressing them," says Monica Marshall, head of RF Relate and Ruder Finn's Washington, DC office. "This study was inspired by need to provide deeper insights into what sparks activism, what actions are being taken and how companies should, or should not, respond."

Of the actions people took, one-third were related to a company, with half supporting a company by purchasing a product or sharing information about the company they work for because they were proud of its social stand. Nearly the same number of people, however, took an action against a company, such as boycotting a product or quitting or considering quitting, because of the company's stance on an issue.

Americans Split on Whether they Believe Companies Will Deliver on Their Promises, But Majority are Willing to Forgive

The study specifically asked about the recent Business Roundtable announcement and the 180 companies that signed a pledge stating that "the purpose of a company is to promote an economy that serves all Americans." When asked if they believed companies would deliver on this promise, 53 percent of all respondents said "no."

With that said, nearly three quarters (73 percent) of respondents said they would forgive a company for a taking a stand, if the company explained why it was important, if they could see how the decisions were connected to their products and services, if they believed it was part of their history and not marketing and if their employees were supportive. More specifically, in a supplemental survey, 51 percent would forgive a company if they took a stand on a societal issue that was against their personal belief if the CEO explained why the company took that stand. In fact, only 18 percent said they would not forgive a company and 9 percent would only forgive them if they changed their stance.

The study further highlights that authenticity is key when it comes to companies supporting social issues. Respondents noted that companies should avoid supporting a cause under pressure from external factors, versus truly investing in the societal cause. They also believe companies should avoid doing business with other companies that do not share their same values.

Biggest Drivers of Action

News stories and social media were the strongest drivers of action. Yet, people were more likely to be inspired to act in support of societal cause based on the involvement of their company (23 percent) over influence from family and friends (18 percent).

The study also asked an open-ended question about the social issues people were most interested in and the top five issues (unaided) were:

1. Animal health and welfare
2. Environment and climate issues
3. Gun control
4. Children (children's health, education, safety, etc.)
5. Women's issues

To obtain the full study, please visit ruderfinn.com or contact [email protected]

About Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn, Inc. is one of the world's largest independent global communications and creative agencies with dual headquarters in the United States and China. Founded in 1948, Ruder Finn serves the global and local communication needs of over 250 corporations, governments, not-for-profit organizations, and start-ups. RF Relate | People. Policy. Purpose. is the agency's newest practice focused on helping companies, governments and NGOs refine their purpose, advocate for change and use communications to connect sustainability and societal impact initiatives to people both inside and outside the organization. For more information visit www.ruderfinn.com.

Survey Methodology

From October 2-7, 2019, Ruder Finn conducted a 10-question survey administered to 8,933 people (18+) online across the U.S. A supplemental follow-up survey of three questions was given to 500 of the initial survey participants on November 21, 2019. The margin of error for this study is +/- 5 percentage points.

SOURCE Ruder Finn