Purple Strategies

The recent wave of anti-DEI activism, particularly from the right, signals a new fault line in how companies manage societal and political issues.    Purple Strategies’ Diana Muggeridge explains how companies must take steps to protect their license to operate as they face scrutiny about their values from both sides of the political spectrum. It isn’t just about responding to criticism – it’s about safeguarding reputation while continuing to build enterprise value in a landscape where almost any action can lead to backlash.   Read her full article here: https://lnkd.in/eWKmxg4v

🟣 Our Jordan Davis and Katie (Pudwill) Wills spell out what to do about the expiration of the Trump tax cuts in our Purple Point newsletter – subscribe here for more insights: https://lnkd.in/eRhcBKGg This year has been full of political uncertainty. We’re less than a month away from the 2024 presidential election and the race remains unpredictable, with no clear frontrunner. Yet, one major issue is already certain: the expiration of the Trump tax cuts in 2025, and the debate around this coming policy fight is already taking shape.   🟪 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞: The cuts’ expiration doesn’t only affect tax rates—it also implicates a wide range of business-critical issues, including R&D incentives, repatriation of profits and capital investments. 59% of the informed public believe corporations aren’t paying their fair share, showing that the narrative is already creating headwinds for companies.   💡 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬: Companies must find a way to craft a narrative that explains their position and that addresses broader public concerns, especially around inflation and economic fairness.

The overturning of 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘷𝘳𝘰𝘯 deference could make it easier for some companies to do business, but it won’t change the need to carefully manage their corporate reputations. Our Anya Benenson has put together her thoughts – read them here: https://lnkd.in/eQdsWfeT

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘷𝘳𝘰𝘯 deference may make it easier for some companies to do business, but it won’t change the need to carefully manage corporate reputation and defend a company’s social license to operate. 🟣 What we see: As our Anya Benenson notes, while public approval for companies speaking out on societal issues unrelated to their core business has declined, nearly 80% of Americans still believe companies should take a stand on social issues. 💡 What it means: Business decisions contrary to stakeholder values remain likely to activate consumer and employee activism despite the potentially changing regulatory landscape, and the potential for social backlash remains a significant threat to corporate reputation. See more by subscribing to our Purple Point newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eRhcBKGg

We often discuss how easily critics can harm a company’s enterprise value “with $100 and a social media account.” 🟣 To test this, we delved into one of the fastest-growing ad sectors – plaintiff recruitment ads, which often present hard claims in a news-like style. We created a fake ad in just one minute with AI for a non-existent product and compared it to a real ad. 🎯 The fake ad was deemed trustworthy by 40% of respondents, underscoring how easy it is to get people to question a product or company with minimal effort and investment. 💡 Subscribe to our Purple Point newsletter and see more insights: https://lnkd.in/eRhcBKGg

Earnings calls are powerful platforms. It’s a chance to engage all license-to-operate stakeholders, not just financial audiences. Yet, too many companies miss the opportunity to tell a compelling enterprise value story in these vital moments. 🟣 Jason Bargnes and Erica Goldman have outlined their case for the importance of the earnings call as a key moment for building reputation. Read their thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/ear4HxCN

Companies spend up to 50% of their communications planning time focused on earnings calls – but are they missing a bigger opportunity to support their enterprise value? Our own Jason Bargnes and Erica Goldman have thoughts. 🟣 What we see: Too many companies view earnings calls narrowly, focusing only on financial updates for financial audiences. But these calls drive national media coverage that reaches other license to operate stakeholders and – if leveraged effectively – are an opportunity to drive a company’s overall reputation as well as its bottom line. In fact, 40% of market cap is based on reputation equity. 💡 What it means: Earnings calls are a powerful platform to share your company’s mission, values and broader story. Critical stakeholders are paying attention. See Jason and Erica’s full insights on how companies can effectively navigate earnings calls by reading their Purple Point article here: https://lnkd.in/ear4HxCN

Introducing "Purple Point" – your new go-to newsletter for insights and strategies to build enterprise value and navigate change. 📈 From our latest issue: learn more about how you can leverage earning calls, the most underleveraged tool in reputation management. Subscribe here for more insights ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eRhcBKGg

A fun and full weekend all around Washington with wonderful clients, partners and friends old and new. Purple Strategies team. White House Correspondents Dinner week. #WHCD

There is now an expectation for corporate leaders to speak out on issues important to Americans. Are you ready to speak? We can help you prioritize the right issues, build authentic narratives that create credibility, and get you prepared for what's next. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Id9EL4