J.T. Conway Portfolio

For the U.S. election specifically, voters and international onlookers wait anxiously, wondering if the wave of election denialism and resistance from four years ago was a flash-in-the-pan or a preview of worse things to come.

Business Repercussions

In a recent Page Conversation on DE&I Transparency, a number of attendees voiced displeasure with the wave of government interference on ESG and DE&I strategies and noted how it is intensifying as the election season progresses. In the U.S., ESG and DE&I are often painted as so-called woke business politics, with numerous state governments proposing legislation to hinder these efforts.

• As of February 2024, at least 61 anti-ESG bills were pending in various state legislatures.
• In 2023, a study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that public policy risks have risen dramatically over the past decade, becoming one of the top business risks that corporations work to mitigate.
• At the start of the year, a Page-Harris Poll study found that geopolitical and election concerns are the top risks for CCOs. As political discourse intensifies during the lead-up to elections, these business strategies are almost certain to fall under even more scrutiny.  

Below are some steps to avoid the crossfire when talking about your ESG and DE&I efforts.

• Root your ESG and DEI strategies and messaging in business impacts to your organization. Both ESG and DE&I have proven invaluable lenses for business strategy. Turning a blind eye to either limits potential growth and puts your organization at greater risk.
• Avoid saying “doing what’s right” to describe business strategies. Companies who describe their business decisions as acts of altruism paint a target on their backs for opportunistic politicians. With the amount of polarization in the world, speaking in terms of morality begs the question of whose morality is being imposed.
• Prove it with Action: Results are the best way to silence critics. Following up on previous commitments made and providing results on the business impact of these strategies can quell unfounded and politicized criticisms.

Societal Repercussions

With so many democracies being tested simultaneously, and with a rapid decrease in content moderation on social media, there is a genuine risk that a number of populations across the globe will refuse to accept the results of their elections. Businesses have a vested interest in preserving democracy, and should work to reduce the polarization that is dominating the discourse.

Below are a few Page resources to help promote healthy discourse and reduce polarization.

• Key Takeaways from PageConnect Nonprofit Call on Bridging Social Divides: This blog dives into research on depolarization theories and provides salient, reasonable actions that you can take to reduce polarization.
• The Specifics Matter: Reinforcing Credibility in a Multi-Stakeholder Environment: In this episode of G&S Communication’s Building Brand Gravity podcast, Eliot Mizrachi, VP of Strategy and Content at Page, makes a guest appearance, joining Page Up members Steve Halsey and Rob Jekielek. They discuss the volatility of the current communications landscape, and talk about enforcing truthful, credible communication in a world of disinformation and doubt.