US: The brands who could be taking the biggest risks over their abortion stances

Following the US Supreme Court voted to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, a host of brands and companies have taken stances on the issue. Some have issued statements in support for women’s right to abortion access, others offering to cover the cost of travel to a state where is abortion is legal for those who need it, and some are giving employees time off to vote and protest.

Recent data from a YouGov/CBS poll reveals that US consumers tend to side with brands that think women should have access to abortion. A majority of US adults (59%) disapprove of the Supreme court overturning Roe v. Wade, rising to 67% among women (vs. 51% of men). Two in five US adults approve of the decision to reverse Roe v. Wade.

Data from YouGov Profiles—an audience intelligence tool—shows that 45% of US consumers like it when brands get involved in social issues while over a third (36%) disagree. However, there are notable distinctions between possible consumers of different brands.

We examined potential customers of several brands who plan to support their workers on abortion to understand their opinions on brands taking a stance on social issues. Doordash, for example, issued a statement saying it would reimburse travel-related expenses for employees who need to travel out of state for abortion care and more than half (52%) of its potential customers say they like it when brands are willing to get involved in social issues.

People who would consider purchasing or using services from companies such as American Express, Ulta Beauty, Reddit, Yelp, Tesla, Alaska Airlines and Tesla also over-index the general population in their propensity to say brands should take a stance on social issues.

Understanding consumers’ mindsets on brands engaging in hot button issues can help marketers assess the impact of doing so. YouGov data can even measure the potential rewards—and risks—of brands aligning with political and social causes, such as whether consumers will be more likely to purchase from a brand or boycott it altogether if they see a brand take a position on specific issues.

Get in contact with YouGov to learn more about assessing brand engagement in social and political issues.

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