Decision 2022: Plenty of Questions Before Companies Make Social and Political Commitments

As the U.S. midterm elections approach, political discussions seem inevitable. Of course, there was a time when you didn’t mention religion or politics in polite company. Better to stick to neutral topics, like the weather or TV. And this was years before politics divided the U.S. to the degree it has today.

Similarly, for years it was standard PR practice for companies and organizations to steer clear of speaking publicly about divisive political and social issues. Of course, that’s changed somewhat during the past few years.

Now it’s accepted that a majority of consumers want companies to have values and speak out on issues. A new Public Affairs Council survey of 2,210 people shows a majority of Americans want large companies solving problems, not Washington, D.