To engage or not to engage? That is the question of election season

It’s election season, and across the United States, voters are subjected to a cacophony of messages and letters, from the politicians vying to become the next president to the neighbor running for school board.

Amid all the noise, Americans increasingly don’t want to hear from the business world. According to the 2024 Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society Report, only 38% of Americans want companies to take a public stance on current events. That’s a significant drop from just two years ago, when nearly half (48%) said they wanted to hear what companies had to say.

They don’t want to hear from companies about international conflicts and immigration policy. They don’t want to hear the company’s stance on abortion rights or gun laws. And above all, they don’t want to hear about religion or certain political candidates (see graphic). After a long period of corporate demonstrations of virtue, voters are tired.

So communicators just have to rely on company messaging, right?

Not so fast. A slim majority of the public believes that companies should take a public stance on climate change, mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion. And not to mention vocal employee groups who expect managers to take a stand on the issues of the day.

How can communications leaders effectively advise executives during a potentially challenging time and how do they determine when to address issues? A pioneering group of German companies offers a possible answer.

Siemens Energy and “We stand for values”

“We Stand for Values,” a group of 40 German companies including Siemens and its subsidiary Siemens Energy, carmakers Volkswagen and Mercedes, and Allianz and DHL Group, have joined forces to take a stand against extremism in European elections.

In Germany, this was a particularly important issue as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) became increasingly popular. It is an isolationist party that is skeptical of Germany’s involvement in the European Union and won seats in the European Parliament in June, where it finished as the AfD’s top vote-getter in a state election in eastern Germany in August.

“Member companies agreed that a prosperous Europe represents a set of values ​​that are linked to economic success,” said Robin Zimmermann, senior vice president for corporate communications, government affairs and CSR at Siemens Energy, during a recent telephone call with members of the European Union Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council. These values ​​include free trade, freedom of movement and freedom of study throughout the EU.

“That was the mission: use our collective voice, our brands and our channels to make clear how important we think Europe is,” he said.

Taking a blended approach to advocacy

“We Stand for Values” is an informal, non-binding coalition in which all members contribute resources and budget. Instead of focusing on opposition to a particular party, the group focused on how openness and tolerance are linked to economic prosperity.

Its efforts initially focused on employee engagement and internal communications, with the aim of educating and motivating its total 1.8 million employees about the economic benefits of the European Union and encouraging them to share this message with others.

They used these formats to reach employees:

• Personal video messages from company bosses.
• Town halls and manager-led team discussions.
• Accessible material on site.
• A continuous stream of “learning nuggets” on the intranet and social media.

They combined this internal approach with a coordinated public relations campaign to ensure broad media reach and motivate others to vote in the upcoming elections. The group’s combined approach resulted in a total of 83 media mentions, including 11 Tier One mentions in Germany, and 13 television and radio appearances.

Does this approach to problem management work?

The results so far are mixed. Right-wing, Eurosceptic parties such as the AfD made significant gains with German voters in three elections in the former East Germany, and in Austria’s September 29 election, the far-right Freedom Party came first in the parliamentary elections.

Nevertheless, Zimmermann describes the coalition’s values-based approach as a long-term recipe for success. If the alliance had not worked to spread its message of tolerance and openness, the results could have been much worse, he said.

This approach resonates with corporate America, who are now in the midst of their own heated political campaigns. Like their German counterparts, they focus on values ​​and encourage their employees to vote, according to a study by Ragan and The Conference Board.

The bottom line: Voters may not want to hear who they should vote for from companies, but that doesn’t mean companies have to stay silent.

Additional resources on election topics, including a toolkit for communicators and a recording of Zimmerman’s presentation, are available exclusively to members of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council. Find out more about joining here.

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