The news: The US Supreme Court’s June decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and put the legal status of abortion back in the hands of states, has eroded trust in brands.
A survey from GroupM and Mindshare found that over half of consumers don’t trust brand statements around reproductive rights, and think they’re often inauthentic or done to attract consumers.
- The sentiment was shared by 51% of female respondents, 54% of men, 62% of non-binary respondents, and 62% of LGBTQ respondents.
No more “staying out of politics”: Remaining neutral isn’t an option for brands anymore. Even before Roe v. Wade was overturned, consumers had been putting greater pressure on brands to take active stances on social issues, and June’s decision turned up the fire.
- Abortion has risen in the ranks as an important issue to the average American. The percentage of voters who said abortion is a “very important” issue jumped from 43% in March to 56% in August, per Pew Research Center.
- Some companies took an immediate stance: Lyft, Uber, Tesla, Apple, Amazon, Citigroup, Bumble, and others publicly announced protective policies for employees seeking abortions as soon as the Supreme Court decision was leaked—a sign that employee treatment has become a key part of a brand’s reputation.
- But GroupM and Mindshare’s survey shows that consumers even distrust brands that take action in defense of reproductive rights. Abortion has already affected consumers’ buying: Twenty-five percent of respondents said they’ve already changed purchasing decisions. Over a third of women (34%) said they’d stop supporting a brand if its CEO spoke out against bodily autonomy.