March 22nd, 2022, Hoang Nguyen
While the conflict rages on in Ukraine, several major US brands have stepped into the fray either to speak out against the violence, suspend operations in Russia, or donate supplies and proceeds to Ukrainians and refugees of the war.
These types of actions seem well-received by the American public - a new poll conducted among registered voters in the US finds that more than four in five of them say brands should cease doing business in Russia (82%).
Another 86% of registered voters say brands should send relief in the form of money or supplies to aid humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Only around one in ten of this group say brands should not take either of these actions.
Not all brand actions are viewed with equal esteem in the eyes of US consumers though. Compared to the initiatives listed above, support for companies issuing statements tends to rank lower. Just over two-thirds of registered voters (68%) say brands should issue statements in support of Ukraine.
And compared to those who oppose brand efforts such as stopping operations in Russia or sending relief to Ukraine, a larger share of registered voters say brands should not issue statements in support of Ukraine (17%).
Data from YouGov’s poll reveals that these brand actions have some effect on shopper sentiment. Three in five registered voters say it’s important that brands take a stance on the crisis and another 30% say they have a lower opinion of brands who have not issued any statements at all on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (30%).
A slim majority (51%), however, say whether a brand has taken a stance makes no difference to their opinion of it.
At least a quarter of registered voters go as far as to say they have considered boycotting brands who have not made any public statements about the Russia-Ukraine conflict (26%). Nearly two in three say they have not considered boycotting brands over this matter (64%).
While most consumers indicate they won’t go as far as to boycott a brand, they don’t seem shy to say they’ll spend with those involved in helping Ukraine. More than two-thirds of registered voters in the US say they would be more likely to buy from a brand who donates or sends a portion of its money to aid humanitarian efforts in the country (68%). Roughly a quarter say it will make no difference to their purchase habits and just 2% say they are less likely to buy from such a brand.
It’s clear then that there is a strong business impact for companies who take a stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and we will continue monitor the situation closely as more brands enter the fray and others seek to measure the impact of their actions so far.
Methodology
YouGov polled 2,000 US adults who registered to vote on March 3, 2022 between 6:30pm and 10:20pm EST. The survey was carried out online through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, political affiliation, and ethnicity. Results are nationally representative of adults in the United States. The margin of error is 2.2% for the overall sample.
Learn more about YouGov Direct.
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