Survey: Consumers Punish Companies' Inaction in Ukraine


(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)

The reputational impact of corporate inaction on the Ukraine-Russia war

An analysis by Caliber shows that companies are becoming prime examples of how corporate inaction in times of war has negative consequences for public trust.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, April 13, 2022 /EINPresswire.com / -- For the past few weeks, Caliber , a company that tracks people's trust in corporations in real-time, has monitored corporate trust scores closely to understand how people around the world expect companies to react to the Ukraine-Russia war, and how public perceptions are changing of those companies that act, and of those that choose not to.

The findings have just been published in the report 'The reputational impact of corporate inaction on the Ukraine-Russia war' published by Caliber.

“Companies worldwide are constantly put under public scrutiny, and even more so during times of crisis. The speed of their action, the clarity of their communication and the circumstances of their choices will have huge implications for how the public perceives them,” explains CEO of Caliber Shahar Silbershatz.

People want action against Russia, but worry for the Russian people

Caliber's data from recent weeks shows that corporate action related to the Ukraine-Russia war is not going unnoticed by the public. In fact, 83 percent of the people Caliber surveyed around the world say that they pay attention to how companies choose to act in response to the conflict. And 78 percent of people expect companies to actively respond to the war.

40 percent say that companies should act through providing humanitarian aid while 36 percent of people on a global average expect companies to cease their business operations in Russia. Still, almost 63 percent of people support companies ceasing their business operations in Russia.

It is especially people in European countries and in the US who expect companies to embark on such political activism, while countries further away from the conflict like Brazil and Japan expect it less so. In China, for example, only 10 percent of people expect companies to pull their operations out of Russia.

However, people are also thinking about the consequences that come with companies leaving Russia. Globally, 27 percent support sanctions against Russia, but show concern for the related impact on ordinary Russian people.

Companies worldwide are being punished for inaction

A corporate exit from Russia is no easy decision. Companies doing so will suffer financial losses in the short term, following already difficult years due to the pandemic. But according to Yale CELI, more than 400 global organizations and companies across all sectors have either fully or partially exited Russia.

From a global sector perspective, Caliber has registered significant drops in reputation levels during March in 7 out of 15 tracked industry indexes. Most negatively impacted are sectors like Banking, Telecom and Oil & Gas. It is especially in their home markets that we see the largest negative fluctuations in public perceptions. For example, Danone, Deutsche Telecom (DT), Societé Generale and BNP Paribas are being heavily punished for inaction.

In contrast, Caliber's findings show the public looking favorably upon oil and gas giants BP and Shell for taking action to support financial pressure on Russia. The same goes for British-owned Unilever who decided to stay in Russia to provide Russians with everyday essential food and hygiene products.

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About Caliber
Caliber helps businesses find out what their target audiences think of them - right now. Through a digital people listening platform, communicators and business leaders worldwide can gain access to trust scores and stakeholder sentiment collected in real time. Caliber's platform helps companies stay on top of people's ever-changing perceptions by means of continuous data collection through surveys - converting data into actionable insights that improve loyalty, build preference, and boost overall reputation.

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Guna Pursele
Group Caliber

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