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Half of Americans believe Ukraine should get help from U.S. companies—not just government

by | Jun 9, 2022 | Public Relations

According to new research from CSR and philanthropy firm Sparo on the sentiments of U.S. consumers relating to corporate giving and philanthropy in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, 43 percent of Americans believe that the government and U.S. businesses share an equally weighted responsibility to support Ukraine during this ongoing global crisis—and companies need to do more.

This finding from the firm’s new Purchase with a Purpose poll arrives in time with ongoing news and debates around both governments and businesses doing more for Ukraine. For instance, the Biden Administration recently called for $33 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to support Ukraine. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself recently estimated that it would cost roughly $600 billion to rebuild Ukraine fully.

Half of Americans believe Ukraine should get help from U.S. companies—not just government

Additionally, the survey found that the war in Ukraine is putting retail businesses on notice by their customers

The data shows that 52 percent of Americans say they’d be more likely to engage with a company/consider buying their products if they were aware of their steps to support Ukraine.

For those who believe corporations could be doing more or haven’t been doing enough to demonstrate support for Ukraine, 43 percent of their main criticism is that the actions of corporations and U.S. businesses feel more “have to” vs. “want to,” meaning they are too performative and episode-driven versus being authentic. The generation that thinks this the most are those ages 18-29 at 51 percent.

Half of Americans believe Ukraine should get help from U.S. companies—not just government

Other finding from the survey include:

  • Around one-third of respondents (34 percent) believe corporations and U.S. businesses have adequately shown their support for Ukraine, whether it be through financial commitments, removing stores, restaurants, and other conveniences, or speaking out on social channels.
  • 31 percent of respondents believe corporations and U.S. businesses have been taking positive steps but could be doing more in this environment to
  • Support the crisis in Ukraine, whereas 9 percent think corporations and U.S. businesses have not been doing enough to demonstrate support for Ukraine.
  • Almost half of Americans (47 percent) are looking for ways to give back to nonprofits worldwide.

Half of Americans believe Ukraine should get help from U.S. companies—not just government

Moving forward, one solution for meeting this new consumer demand for corporations to improve the authenticity and volume of philanthropic efforts is to increase opportunities for corporations to give back year-round, not just for current events, and in a less episode-driven way. That’s why platforms like Sparo make it easy for businesses—especially retailers—to add an element of altruism to their business model.

Half of Americans believe Ukraine should get help from U.S. companies—not just government

“With this new appetite for corporate accountability, we will likely see more and more consumers begin prioritizing or practicing more socially conscious purchasing,” Sparo CEO Rob Sobhani told Fortune, according to a news release. “Today’s consumers are smart—and will be able to tell when philanthropy is genuinely woven into a company’s DNA or as a core part of their brand ethos versus performative or self-serving in nature. Sparo is a Microsoft-partnered startup that helps companies solicit donations for causes when customers buy goods or services.”

Half of Americans believe Ukraine should get help from U.S. companies—not just government

Download the full report here.

Richard Carufel
Richard Carufel is editor of Bulldog Reporter and the Daily ’Dog, one of the web’s leading sources of PR and marketing communications news and opinions. He has been reporting on the PR and communications industry for over 17 years, and has interviewed hundreds of journalists and PR industry leaders. Reach him at richard.carufel@bulldogreporter.com; @BulldogReporter

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