Boycotts and Backlash: Why Consumers Want Brands to Take Action this Pride Month
52% of consumers in the U.K. and U.S. think Pride Month-themed products and advertisements have a positive impact on the community, less than half of consumers (45%) believe that individuals representing the LGBTQ+ community were involved in the marketing or product decisions.
BOSTON and LONDON, June 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Zappi, the leading market research platform for on-demand consumer insights, surveyed nationally representative samples of 2,000 U.S. and 2,000 U.K. consumers to understand how social and economic factors influence a consumer's response to brands speaking out on social issues.
Zappi asked consumers about Pride Month, Juneteenth, boycotts and how brand activism influences their shopping behaviors. Findings revealed that words of support aren't enough for consumers. Instead, brands have to become activist marketers that commit to action in support of important issues to their brand and customers.
"Consumers have spoken, and the days of brands changing their profile picture on social media to a Pride flag won't cut it anymore," said Ryan Barry, President of Zappi. "Consumers vote with their wallets, showing up for what's important to them, and they expect brands to do the same. So, whether it's Pride Month, mental health or climate change, the onus is on brands to understand what matters to their customers and the potential for negative reactions, determine how they engage on the issues and take action to make a difference. Knowing your audience is step one."
Did Bud Light Scare Brands Away from Pride Month?
- Over half of U.K. (52%) and 45% of U.S. consumers think that Pride Month-themed products and advertisements have a positive impact on visibility for the LBTQ+ community. But consumers are realistic in understanding the brands' aim in supporting the community during Pride Month.
- 37% of consumers think brands support Pride Month to drive profit, compared to 17% who think they do it out of genuine support for the community.
- Following backlash over Bud Light's partnership with trans influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, consumers are torn on how brands should support the community. 38% of consumers think brands should double down on trans representation during Pride Month compared to 36% who think they should not.
- Cause-related advertising won't improve company image alone. Only 19% of consumers think that LGBTQ+-inclusive advertising fosters a more progressive company image, while only 14% think it helps build brand recognition. Notably, 31% of consumers think brand perception depends on the ad itself ? so execution is vital.
- Nearly one-in-three consumers (32%) reported seeing a brand publicly support the LGBTQ+ community, but take actions that directly contradict that support.
- When a brand publicly supports Pride Month, less than half of consumers (45%) believe that individuals representing the LGBTQ+ community were involved in the marketing or product decisions.
Boycotts are becoming commonplace
- Over half of consumers (55%) have boycotted a brand that didn't align with their views in the last 12 months. Nearly one-in-three (32%) reported boycotting more than one brand in that time.
- Less than half (47%) of U.S. consumers think companies have a responsibility to speak out on key social issues, compared to nearly two-thirds (65%) of U.K. consumers.
- Across political ideologies, 64% that support Democrats in the U.S. think companies have this responsibility, while only 38% that support Republicans agree. This is reflected in the parties' likelihood to stop shopping with a brand for supporting a cause they oppose; 72% that support Democrats reported taking this step, compared to 51% of Republicans.
- In the U.K., Labor Party supporters (79%) are likely to think companies have the responsibility to speak out on social issues, while 59% of Conservative supporters agree. Despite this disparity, Labor party supporters are slightly less likely to boycott a brand for supporting a cause they oppose (60%), compared to Conservatives (62%).
- Income plays a vital role in consumer bargaining power, but consumers in the U.K. and U.S. wield theirs differently.
- In the U.K., only 33% of consumers earning over £100k annually have boycotted a brand that doesn't align with their views, while 55% of consumers earning less than $25k annually have boycotted.
- In the U.S., this dynamic shifts dramatically. 73% of consumers earning over $100k annual income have boycotted a brand that doesn't align with their views, compared to just 34% of consumers earning less than $25k annually who reported the same.
The potential in activist marketing
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) of U.K. consumers believe brands have a responsibility to speak out on social issues, compared to 47% of U.S. consumers.
- But brands need to lead with action beyond just words on social media. 48% of U.K. consumers and 40% of U.S. consumers would see a brand more negatively if they publicly support a social issue without taking action in support.
- Consumers in the U.K. have experienced more climate change advocacy (40% vs. 31% U.S.) from brands in the past year, compared with U.S. consumers, who have seen more brands advocate for human rights issues like gun reform (20% vs 8% U.K.) and a woman's right to choose (24% v. 17% U.K.).
- The most common issues that consumers have collectively seen brands support are mental health (39%), climate change (35%), human rights (34%) and LGBTQ+ issues (34%).
- 60% of consumers reported that a brand's support of a social issue directly led them to shop at that brand. Notably, 14% of U.K. consumers and 20% of American consumers report having shopped at over 5 new brands because of their social advocacy.
- Over half of consumers in the U.S. and U.K. (54%) would pay more for products from brands whose social actions align with theirs.
- High earners are especially likely to shift purchase behaviors in this way. 88% of U.K. consumers earning £100k annually are likely to pay more to buy from a brand that shares their views. Similarly 74% of high earning American consumers (more than $100k annual income) share this preference.
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ABOUT ZAPPI
Zappi is the leading consumer insights platform designed for creators ? the insights professionals, marketers and product innovators that bring fresh, new ideas to life each day. More than 350 of the world's most progressive brands use the Zappi platform to better understand consumers, accelerate innovation pipeline, and optimize ads and products before they go to market with pre-launch data.
Zappi has been recognized as one of the hottest martech companies in 2022 by Business Insider and recognized by Newsweek and Comparably for its engaging and inclusive workplace culture. With offices in Boston, London and Cape Town, we are a distributed team where career growth is equitable for everyone.
Media Contact
Vinny Frazzetto, Zappi, 347-841-6162, vincent.frazzetto@zappistore.com
SOURCE Zappi
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