Brands Take a Stand for Reproductive Rights

Talk about a headline.

In response to our current political climate, over 180 CEOs are coming together to back the “Don’t Ban Equality” initiative. With a full-page spread in the New York Times as part of the official launch, today’s most esteemed business leaders say equality is “one of the most important business issues of our time.” The nearly 200 companies participating—who believe denying individuals of reproductive rights is not only bad for business, but also fails to align with company values—say it’s imperative to protect the rights of their 100,000 combined employees.

Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, shares her thoughts on the matter: “A woman’s ability to access reproductive health care is critical to her autonomy, economic success, health, human rights, and empowerment in the workplace. Reproductive health care is a human right for all, no matter who you are, where you live, or your profession.”

Image Credit: Emily Weiss

We’ve seen brands increasingly take a stance on controversial issues, but experts suggest this campaign is unique in that it is quite possibly the “largest ever on-the-record show of support from the business community for reproductive care.” (Forbes) What might this suggest for brands in the future? How will brands participate in conversations around next year’s election? And, more importantly, how will it define the standard for how companies operate beyond a product?

According to recent research conducted by Sprout Social, 66% of consumers agree that it’s imperative for corporate companies to speak out in response to social and political issues. A shining example of this is Nike’s controversial Kapernick ad from last fall. No question, the ad was daring and defiant. And while it spurred a roar of backlash, it also instigated a 31% increase in sales—not to mention it continues to be widely-discussed even almost a year later.

While attending the University of Oregon, our advertising professors often talked about how brands have the power to change the world. We heavily discussed how creativity can be a catalyst for introducing ideas that generate much-needed conversation and progress toward issues that matter, like our climate crisis for example. To see brands stand up and speak out like this is a very moving reminder of that. As we continue to navigate complex issues defining the landscape of our country, I have no doubt that brands will be a pivotal force in advocating for change.