Company support for social issues attracts customers

Consumers today are becoming more motivated by social issues, and they are more likely to buy when companies and brands support the social issues that are important to them, according to research from EthniFacts, a cross-cultural knowledge and insights provider.

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While this sentiment had decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now on the rise again. EthniFacts' Fall 2022 PICAT (Personality and Intercultural Affinity) study found that all age groups are more likely to buy from companies that support social issues important to them. Generation Z, aged 16-24, is the most likely to buy based on social issues.

PICAT is a semiannual national survey of American consumers that measures attitudes and behaviors through a cultural lens and gauges their impact on consumption. PICAT aims to understand cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors, reveal insights about consumer behaviors, and find common ground among diverse communities in today's dissonant marketplace.

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Support for social issues varies by generation:

• Gen Z prioritizes the issues of racial/ethnic equality, BLM (Black Lives Matter), LGBTQIA+ and women's equality.
• Millennials, aged 25-39, prioritize the issues of racial/ethnic equality, protecting the environment, unifying Americans and women's equality.
• Generation X, aged 40-59, prioritizes the issues of protecting the environment, unifying Americans, supporting veterans and supporting small businesses.
• Boomers, aged 60-plus, prioritize the issues of supporting America, supporting veterans and supporting Christian values.

Race and ethnicity also influence support for social issues. For instance, Hispanics are most concerned with companies paying their employees a living wage, while non-Hispanic Blacks are most concerned with racial/ethnic equality, and non-Hispanic Asians are most concerned with protecting the environment, according to the latest PICAT study.

This article originally appeared at CSNews.