Advocacy and activism are becoming exceedingly popular for corporations, especially when used in relation to PR. According to polls from Gallup, publics are increasingly expecting organizations to take a stand on public issues, compared to past years when consumers preferred not to (Ray, 2025).
The most important part of advocacy and activism carried out by brands is that is must feel authentic for the organization. Publics do not want to see forced activism that does not align with the brand’s values.
In an article from Cision, Mary Lorenz discusses the factors to consider when deciding if your brand should take a public stance on issues. She outlines the key considerations including knowing your audience, researching beforehand, consistency and commitment, authenticity and anticipating criticism (Lorenz, n.d.).
These factors can benefit organizations by helping them ensure that their public stances align with their brand identities.
Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s is a perfect example of a company who has embedded advocacy and activism into their brand identity. Their “Save Our Swirled” campaign focused on climate change was not an exception.
When brands show their outspoken commitment to activism, it becomes part of the brand, not simply a PR strategy. Although their stances may risk alienating customers, Ben & Jerry’s success has proved that organizations can show publics their true beliefs and values while remaining a profitable and respected corporation (Epstein et al., 2018).
Dick’s Sporting Goods
In the case of Dick’s Sporting Goods, they were faced with a national political controversy of gun reform, where they responded by restricting the sale of guns in their stores. This was a strategic business decision for Dick’s because they removed some liability that comes with selling weapons, but it was also activism in the face of a national tragedy (Dick’s Sporting Goods enters the gun debate, 2019).
Walt DIsney Company
Sometimes, organizations are forced to make a statement regarding current issues when their silence is seen as complicity.
When a bill passed that prohibited discussion about gender expression in classrooms across Florida, Walt Disney Company was eventually forced to make a statement due to backlash and reputational damage as a Florida-based company. By doing this, they risked losing their special status with the government for speaking out against them (Trouble in Paradise).
Walt Disney Company struggled with this situation, but ultimately spoke out once they realized that this was a real issue affecting stakeholders in their home state that they were refusing to acknowledge.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is one of the best examples of activism, particularly on social media. This challenge went viral, raising millions of dollars for ALS research.
Personally, I this challenge taught me about what ALS was, and I still vividly remember it today. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge shows that advocacy can be engaging for publics, and not simply corporate decisions to make the company look good.
Why Should You Care?
Advocacy and activism are ingrained in many organizations today. PR professionals should care about integrating advocacy and activism into their efforts when the issues are relevant and authentic to their organizations.
Ultimately, it is the job of PR professionals to help organizations decide when and how to take stances on issues affecting their publics.
Keywords
Activism, Advocacy, Public Relations, Strategic Communication
Works Cited
Dick’s Sporting Goods enters the gun debate: Revising the playbook. (2019).
Epstein, C. B., Garcia, L., Kent, R. L., Podolin, J. L., & Jin, Y. (2018). Ben & Jerry’s sends out an S.O.S.: An analysis of Ben & Jerry’s global climate activism. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 7, 1-35. https://cssc-ojs utexas.tdl.org/cssc/issue/view/7
Lorenz, M. (n.d.). Should your brand take a stand? A guide to brand activism. Cision. https://www.cision.com/resources/articles/brand-take-a-stand-brand-activism-guide/
Ray, J. (2025, August 6). Support for businesses taking a public stance rebounds. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/692981/support-businesses-taking-public-stance-rebounds.aspx
Trouble in Paradise: The Walt Disney Company’s response to Florida House Bill 1557. (n.d.).
When Every Drop Counts: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Floods Nonprofit With Cash (n.d.). In Conflict management (pp. 121–132)
Heidi Verplank 
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