May 9, 2022

Major Shift: Corporations May Back Away From Culture War

It will be a significant shift in how corporations navigate the political world if they do.
Major Shift: Corporations May Back Away From Culture War

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In recent history, corporations have bent over backward to support partisan causes. Corporations dished out millions for the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Disney recently allocated resources and funds to combat Gov. Ron DeSantis’s anti-grooming bill. Is this about to change?

Meet Zeno, a multinational public relations firm representing Coca-Cola, Salesforce, Hershey’s, and Starbucks. According to a leaked internal communication, the firm is now advising high-profile clients to avoid commenting on the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Dividing the country: They explicitly expressed that while the media and voters will look for corporations to take a stand, doing so with highly polarizing topics will only divide the country and alienate stakeholders. “Do not assume that all of your employees, customers, or investors share your view.”

Some analysts suspect DeSantis’s response to Disney was a turning point. Disney’s move to fight Florida’s popular anti-grooming bill was a massive loss for the corporation and led to backlash from shareholders and political forces like Gov. DeSantis.

It is possible that other public relations firms and corporations won't mirror this attitude. It will be a significant shift in how corporations navigate the political world if they do.

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