Woke Corporatism Has Lost Its Luster

Are Americans becoming fed up with woke corporatism? In days past, it seemed that politics and business were about as compatible as oil and water. But the past five years have seen companies express a willingness to dive headfirst into the pool of partisanship.

Businesses appear to be banking on the possibility that taking firm stances on the issues of the day might endear them to their customer base. Others seem to be embracing woke positions to stave off attacks from the progressive Cancel Culture community. But a recent poll shows Americans becoming less tolerant of the idea that politics should be part of their business dealings.

Americans Prefer Profit Over Politics

A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 87% of adults believe a company’s offerings are most important when deciding on businesses from which to buy. This includes 70% who rated it as “Very Important.” About 58% of respondents indicated that they deem it important that a company shares their political beliefs, including 28% who said this was “Very Important.”

When asked what factors are most essential for a business to prioritize, 69% chose providing “quality goods and services,” while 13% selected “increasing profit,” according to the report. A paltry 9% said focusing on causes like diversity and environmentalism was critical.Bottom of Form

It is worth noting that these results were similar across party lines. “

Majorities of every political category – 73% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans and 69% of those not affiliated with either major party – consider the quality of a company’s goods and services Very Important in making consumer decisions,” Rasmussen noted.

Despite corporate America’s embrace of wokeism, only about 15% of Democrats believed it was more important for companies to support diversity and environmentalism.

What’s Up With Woke Corporatism?

These numbers might seem surprising to those following the ebb and flow of modern cancel culture. If the activist media and politicians are to be believed, Americans are entirely on board with corporations taking strong stands even on controversial political matters.

ABC News reported last year that America’s political climate has led at least some businesses to go all in on politics as a way to attract more customers. However, experts told the news outlet that “[w]hile such messaging cultivates loyalty among a devoted set of customers with matching beliefs, businesses risk damaging their bottom lines and further exacerbating polarization.”

Nooshin Warren, a marketing professor at the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, told ABC News that “firms had to respond to the market” as political issues became more prevalent in national conversations.

One example was the hubbub over Goya Foods after its CEO, Robert Unanue, had the temerity to publicly express his support for former President Donald Trump. Folks on the left called for boycotts, while conservatives rallied behind the brand.

When Texas lawmakers passed a restrictive abortion law last summer, however, the response from corporate America was more subdued. Business leaders remained mostly silent on the matter. Still, they made moves behind the scenes to show where they stood. In Florida, major companies like Disney and others offered to pay travel costs for employees who needed to go out of state to obtain abortion procedures.

If the findings of the Rasmussen survey are any indication, Americans have grown weary of woke corporatism and desire to regain the ability to purchase products and services without having to worry about the political beliefs of the organization with which they choose to do business. Perhaps they just want a decent meal at a restaurant or a nice cup of coffee without the side order of preaching.