What consumers expect from brands amid Russia-Ukraine war

As Russia’s war with Ukraine enters its seventh week, brands are continuing to look for guidance on best practices and consumer expectations. McCann Worldgroup Truth Central, the global intelligence unit at the agency, recently surveyed global consumers about the Ukraine war as part of its crisis tracking report, a series it began early on in the pandemic. McCann found that customers are primarily looking for comfort and stability from brands during this time of global unrest—a time when few consumers, or 28%, feel positive about the mood of the world. Some 77% of people surveyed said it is more meaningful to them that a brand reassures them rather than challenges them, and 79% of people believe brands have a role to play in bringing society together. “We’ve seen trends in the data that people are looking for more reassurance, they’re looking for brands to understand their frustration,” said Laura Simpson, chief intelligence officer, noting that the emotional role that brands play in the lives of consumers cannot be ignored. Yet she cautioned that it is about balance. “At the same time, it’s challenging for brands because you don’t want to fall into that trap of communications that start to feel too bland or ‘We’re all in this together.’” The report also tackled the issue of cancel culture. Many brands have been called out publicly or on social media for continuing to do business in Russia. Nestle and Johnson & Johnson both saw consumer backlash earlier this month. J&J recently said it would halt the sale of personal care products in Russia. Simpson said most consumers remain divided on the subject of “canceling” a brand—the report found that 49% of people believe cancel culture has gone too far while 51% believe people should be held accountable. Yet experts have said that marketers should not be sitting back in silence regarding the war in Ukraine. For example, Robert Gibbs, senior counsel at marketing services agency Bully Pulpit Interactive and a former White House press secretary in the Obama Administration, recently told Ad Age that “brands cannot afford to be bystanders” and should be a “critical part of that unprecedented response” of sanctions against Russia. Brands that "come out with a point of view [are] showing they’re listening and paying attention to the situation,” said Simpson. The survey also found that more than half of consumers say one of the most important things a brand can do to help Ukraine prevent the spread of misinformation. Read the latest news on industry responses to the Russia-Ukraine war. McCann’s data was collected through a survey from March 8 to March 14. of more than 4,500 people in nine countries, including the U.S., U.K., China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Germany, Poland and Romania. A recent survey conducted by Dentsu on consumer sentiment amid the Ukraine war had similar findings. The report found that the majority of consumers, or 48%, said supporting Ukraine and penalizing Russia should be equal priorities for brands; in addition, it found that consumers are more likely to stop purchasing from brands that do nothing against Russia.

What consumers expect from brands amid Russia-Ukraine war

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