BUSINESSMEN MAKING BAD CHOICES – OVERNIGHT:  Many corporate executives have involved themselves in political action.  They must be very proud of themselves, and no doubt they get invited to the right cocktail parties.  All those Dunhill suits.  And the Prada stuff too.

But how does the consumer public feel about their favorite labels getting involved in politics?  Not very favorably, it turns out.  From the New York Post: 

A new warning to woke CEOs: Americans don’t want corporations meddling in divisive political issues, and they perceive such activism as phony pandering. There’s also a huge gap between what consumers believe about woke activism compared with out-of-touch executives, according to a study conducted by the Brunswick Group, a management firm.

Amazon yanks a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. EBay scraps Dr. Seuss books. Disney fires actress Gina Carano. Do consumers agree with these moves?

Brunswick found 63 percent of corporate executives “agree unequivocally that companies should speak out on social issues,” but a mere 36 percent of voters agree. Corporate brass also has “a highly inflated sense of how effective corporate communication has been on social issues compared to voters.”

An overwhelming 74 percent of business executives think corporate activism is effective, compared with just 39 percent of voters. Companies spend billions of dollars building brand equity through marketing campaigns. Turns out their virtue-signaling could be counterproductive because voters believe it’s inauthentic.

The study found more than 60 percent of voters think “companies only speak out on social issues to look better to consumers and are not being sincere,” even as 57 percent of executives said companies “speak out on social issues because they want to achieve real change.”

Talk about disconnected narcissism. Will these brands wake up from their woke fantasies?

“Authenticity” is a buzzword corporate bigwigs throw around in hopes of reaching younger consumers. Instead, they come across as hovering, obnoxious parents in mom jeans and dad fanny packs.

“On Beyond Zebra!” and “And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street” are among six Dr. Seuss books that will no longer be printed due to accusations of racist and insensitive imagery.

Brunswick’s findings echo an April Rasmussen Reports survey finding 37 percent of American adults said Coca-Cola’s swipe against Georgia’s voter-integrity law made them less likely to purchase Coke products. (Incidentally, Coke twice won worst company for global plastic waste.)

COMMENT:   You'd think corporate executives would be more sensitive to the opinions of the marketplace.  There is a real disconnect between the suits and their customers, and the customers will eventually win.

December 2,  2021