Do people care about brands’ stances on wider issues in society?

That is exactly the question British poller YouGov asked. People were asked the question: How important, or not, is it to you that the brands you like have a clear/transparent point of view on wider issues in society? 39% of people find it somewhat important, compared to 21% who find it not very important. On the more extreme side; 16% claim it’s very important, compared to 14% who find it not important at all. 10% said they didn’t know.

If you dive a little bit deeper into the demographics, you will find some interesting differences between groups. For example, women care more about brands’ stances on wider societal issues than men. 62% claimed it was somewhat/very important to them, compared to only 49% of men. And the gap in indifference was also significant, 19% of men said it was not important to them at all, compared to only 9% of women.

If there’s anything to learn from this, it is that not all demographics are as eager for brands to speak their mind about policies or ideals. Women generally are more conscious consumers and incorporate more ethical considerations into their purchasing decisions. For example, on average women recycle more, buy sustainable products more often and are more concerned about wasting water or energy. In addition, men often struggle with the notion that they regard sustainable behavior as ‘feminine’, making them wary of participating themselves. That is why it’s important, especially if a large part of your customer base consists of women, to consider taking a stand in important societal issues.