Brands Taking Stands Weekly Newsletter

From General Motors and Harley Davidson, large corporations to mid-sized and small businesses, companies have voiced their opposition. Trade groups have sounded the alarm: “The administration is threatening to undermine the economic progress it worked so hard to achieve,” said Tom Donohue, president of the US Chamber of Commerce, a longtime supporter of Republican economic policies in announcing a campaign to oppose the administration’s tariffs.

The global trade wars have begun, despite a rising drumbeat of concern from companies and trade associations.

The We Mean Business coalition was formed to organize a critical mass of the business world to make progress on climate change. With its no-nonsense brand name, formidable numbers, and world-class leadership, the coalition is poised to be a dominant player in directing businesses toward taking stands on strategies and practices that define climate change as a business opportunity, not just an environmental disaster.

The We Mean Business coalition was formed to organize a critical mass of the business world to make progress on climate change. With its no-nonsense brand name, formidable numbers, and world-class leadership, the coalition is poised to be a dominant player in directing businesses toward taking stands on strategies and practices that define climate change as a business opportunity, not just an environmental disaster.

The administration’s “no tolerance” policy puts “something fundamental at stake: whether our nation’s policies will reflect values or run in direct contradiction to them,” Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, in a statement typical of many.

One of the hottest of hot button political-social issues got pushed, hard, last week. The separation of children from immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. blew up into a major conflict zone in the larger culture wars that shows no signs of quieting down anytime soon. As before, following the issue of the “Muslim ban” immigration executive order issued in early 2017, business squared off against government policy in a high volume debate over values.

The implications are clear for publicly traded companies, said the ratings agency: “We may begin to see institutional investors build climate risk factors into their portfolio selection processes, thereby placing greater emphasis on climate when directing investments.”

Of the several big issues that have attracted the attention of brands taking stands recently, climate change looks to be topping the agendas of the world’s largest companies.

Not so long ago, the major tech companies were held up as ideal models of innovation and progress. Now, a reality check seems to be setting in as they face increased consumer and regulatory scrutiny. Facebook continues to be under fire for lack of transparency in how it shares customer data. Amazon is taking hits for “unethical and illegal” workplace conditions in the Chinese factories that produce its Echo and Kindle devices. It’s gotten to the point where Hollywood is turning out features in which Silicon Valley figures are portrayed as supervillains.

“The Big Story” in this week’s edition of the Brands Taking Stands Newsletter focuses on how stands taken on principle by a business that already has a purpose-driven mission doubles down on the perception that that company is “better” than one that just does business-as-usual. New research shows positive benefits for firms promoting values as well as products and services.