5 things to consider when taking a brand position on hot-button issues

There was a time, not so long ago, when issues surrounding abortion, gun control, mass shootings and other hot button topics were considered no-go territory for brands. The thinking went: “It’s too rife with risk to comment on issues that have nothing to do with our business.” In today’s environment, that thinking is obsolete.

And you know what? That’s a good thing.

This shift in attitude for a range of stakeholders, including consumers, employees, investors and news media, has been gradually changing over the past decade. However, the pandemic and its magnifying effects on economic, racial and social inequality, along with how brands responded to such events as the murder of George Floyd, catapulted companies to the forefront of the national debate. The new expectation is that brands must act.