70% of Brits believe brands should take public stance against Ukraine invasion
Three in five British consumers would avoid buying from a brand still doing business in Russia, and 70% believe brands should take a public stance on the war in Ukraine.
Over 130 brands have already pulled their business from Russia
According to a YouGov report, which surveyed consumer attitudes towards brands’ stances on Russia, half of Brits are more likely to buy from a brand that has ceased business in Russia, and two in five would boycott a brand based on its Russian business.
Attitudes differed across the age groups, with nearly 70% of over-65s having claimed they would avoid buying from brands still active in Russia, but this slipped to just 33% in the 18-24 demographic.
The younger demo were also lukewarm on whether brands should publicly condemn Russia, with just 42% thinking brands should speak out, compared with 83% of the over-65s and 67% of the 50-64 age group.
The data will be welcomed by the 130+ brands that have already pulled their business from Russia.
A number of big brands are yet to shut their Russian operations, with Nestle, Mars, Marriot and Mondelez among them. The UK foreign secretary Liz Truss and several British MPs have urged the public to boycott brands still trading, with the likes of McDonald’s, KFC and Coca-Cola shamed into action yesterday (March 10).
Beyond retreating from Russia, some 20% of Brits felt they would also boycott a company that stayed silent about the war, and roughly the same number would boycott a brand that refused to donate money or supplies.