Consumers expect brands to respond to the Ukraine conflict

A majority of consumers around the world believe that brands should take some form of action in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

What can they do?

According to research by GWI among 20,428 internet users aged 16-64 in 21 markets, 84% want brands to take action. While 32% accept that it may depend on the circumstances involved, there’s a hard core of 24% who think brands should always take action and make their views known.

The insights show consumers value meaningful responses (43%) and practical help (40%) over ending investments (around 33%) or public statements (27%).

Key findings

• Consumers value charitable acts by brands above all else: donating goods (43%) or offering services to those in need (40%) are seen as more important than monetary donations (35%).
• Consumers just want brands to get involved and are not too concerned about the existence of strong brand values (cited by 31%) or whether a brand is operating in a relevant industry (27%). 
• Expectation of brands taking action correlates with age: 60% of 16-24s think brands should take action, compared to 51% of 55-64s.
• In most countries, the main consumer responses to conflict are to cut personal spending (33%), to look for brands supporting the cause (31%), and to donate goods (31%) and money (30%) to charity.
• Over a quarter (26%) have stopped buying from a brand that is not supporting the cause – showing brand responses are top of mind for consumers.

Sourced from GWI [Image: Daniele Franchi on Unsplash]