Majority of Americans don't think businesses should take political, social stances on current events

FIRST ON FOX: Most Americans do not want businesses to weigh in on the most contentious political and social issues in society, according to new polling. 

Nearly 60% of Americans think companies should not take a public stance on current events, which is up from 52% last year, according to a new poll conducted by Gallup and Bentley University. Political party, race and age were most determinative of how Americans believed businesses should act. 

Issues that Americans are most in favor of businesses taking a stance on include climate change (55%), mental health (52%), free speech (49%) and healthcare (48%) while the least popular areas include abortion (26%), political candidates (19%) and religion (15%). 

Only 37% of Americans think businesses should take a public stance on LGBTQ+ issues, 45% on racial issues, 39% on gun laws, 34% on immigration policy and 27% on international conflicts. 

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With the rise of corporate activism and events like Pride Month, more American businesses have felt pressure to inject their own opinions on the social, political and cultural issues that are part of the U.S. societal discourse. But, as more U.S. companies weigh in, Americans seem fatigued by these companies that inject politics into their messaging and are increasingly against companies issuing their opinions on the country's most contentious issues. 

While some business leaders, including billionaire "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban, believe companies embracing "woke" ideology is just "good business," the new poll indicates that it could actually negatively impact their bottom lines. 

Some of the most prominent instances where businesses stirred up controversy and backlash include Bud Light and Target, which resulted in massive losses worth billions of dollars for both companies. 

Bud Light, owned by parent company Anheuser-Busch, faced a months-long backlash after it partnered with transgender influencer and activist Dylan Mulvaney in an April Instagram ad about March Madness. 

A few days later, Anheuser-Busch defended the partnership with a statement that said the pact helped to "authentically connect with audiences," but the plummet in sales indicated consumers didn't agree. 

The Anheuser-Busch-owned brand’s sales fell by 24.5% in four weeks alone this summer and saw a 23.9% decrease in sales on a dollar basis compared to a year ago, as previously reported.

In a similar message, Target's CEO said in an interview — preceding the backlash over the store's Pride displays that featured items such as assorted LGBTQ children’s apparel and "tuck-friendly" women's swimsuits — that "woke" capitalism is "great" for the brand and was "the right thing for society." But, as sales continued to plummet, some locations moved the controversial merchandise to the back of the store. 

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Following the rollout, Target's market value fell $15 billion in the weeks following the display of Pride Month merchandise.

FOX News contributor Caitlyn Jenner, who identifies as transgender, said most Americans don’t have a problem with the LGBTQ community, but warned that brands like Bud Light and Target are simply "alienating a lot of the marketplace."

Political party identification has the strongest influence on whether Americans believe corporations should take a stance on political issues with Democrats the most in favor of companies weighing in. 

Over 60% of Democrats said businesses should publicly announce where they fall on political issues, which is down from 75% in 2022. In contrast, just 17% of Republicans and 36% of independents came to the same conclusion as their Democratic counterparts, which is down from 18% and 40%, respectively, in 2022. 

Race also played a significant role in how Americans indicated businesses should weigh in on political issues with Black and Hispanic Americans the most likely to be in favor of a public stance. Although, the percentage in favor declined from 72% to 61% among Black adults and 49% to 48% among Hispanic adults between 2022 and 2023. That number shrunk from 41% to 35% among White Americans. 

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Younger adults are more likely than older Americans to be in favor of businesses taking stances on current events. Over 50% of adults ages 19-29, 47% of adults ages 30-44 and 35% of adults ages 45 and older are in favor of businesses taking political stances, but overall those numbers have declined since 2022. 

The recent findings are part of a larger Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report, which will be released on Oct. 11. Findings are based on a web survey with 5,458 U.S. adults conducted between May 8 and May 15, using the probability-based Gallup Panel.

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"The Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report confirms that, like business leaders, the public has mixed views on whether businesses should weigh in on these often complex and nuanced issues," Gallup concluded. "Americans are less likely now than they were in 2022 to say businesses should take a public stance on current events, but taking a stance on some topics — climate change, in particular — is still relatively palatable to most Americans."

Other American businesses that have weighed in on social and political issues, and at times taken an activist stance, which ensued backlash include North Face, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Six Flags, Postmates, Starbucks, Kohl's, PetSmart and Ben and Jerry's. 

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