Election Matters 2024

Managing Risk & Reputation in An Election Year

Today, elections have consequences for business that go far beyond regulations or public policy. Amidst a fractured and hyper-partisan social and political landscape, companies run a gauntlet of reputational and business risks in an election season. Knowing how to navigate these risks and when to engage is a high-stakes gambit.

– Pam Jenkins, Chair, Powell Tate, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Weber Shandwick

More than half the world’s population –4.2 billion people – will vote in 2024 elections. Elections in global power centers – in the U.S., U.K., the European Union parliament, Taiwan, India, Mexico, Indonesia and South Africa – will have significant impact on the geopolitical, economic and social landscape.

Organizations and brands must navigate a convergence of highly polarizing issues including the economy, abortion, immigration, racial inequities, LGBTQ+ rights, and climate, alongside the impacts and consequences created by artificial intelligence, misinformation, and disinformation. 

Organizations must find the right balance when taking a public stance on political and cultural issues as well as understand and address how these issues affect their employees and workplaces.

Over the course of the 2024 election cycle, The Weber Shandwick Collective’s Global Elections Task Force – including experts across Powell Tate, Weber Shandwick, KRC Research, and United Minds – will provide data-driven election insights, analysis, and real-time counsel. We’ll track political activity around the world, with particular focus on the three most consequential elections for our multinational clients: U.S., U.K., and the E.U.

INSIGHTS, ANALYSIS, & COUNSEL FOR ORGANIZATIONS

Pulse on Political Narratives

Amid the 2024 elections, Pulse on Political Narratives is a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered study conducted by The Weber Shandwick Collective’s Elections Task Force examining what candidates across the political spectrum are saying about issues that matter to companies and their stakeholders.

After assessing nearly 200,000 campaign messages, we identified the top five issues candidates were most likely to talk about regarding the business community – inflation, corporate accountability, labor, local economic growth and healthcare. Read the study here.

(First released July 2024)

PULSE ON AMERICA July 2024

Amid fears of a tumultuous election, Americans expect business to take a stand on protecting democracy – while remaining politically neutral.

The July edition of Pulse on America features the latest survey examining the role of business in the 2024 U.S. elections, particularly as many Americans express concern and fear about the election outcomes. Read the survey findings here.

(First released July 2024)

Geopolitical alert: outlook for global business after india’s election

This spring, India’s election resulted in a shift in the domestic political landscape, with no political party attaining a clear majority in the 543-seat Lok Sabha. This Geopolitical Alert examines the election results, what global companies and markets should watch next, anticipated priorities in key economic sectors and implications for geopolitics and international relations. Read it here.

(First released June 2024)

The weber shandwick collective (TWSC) TikTok Ban Survey

New survey from TWSC finds that younger adults ages 18-27 are significantly more likely to perceive TikTok ban as a free speech infringement, take political action. Read it here.

(First released May 2024)

Pulse on America MARCH 2024

As the 2024 campaigns accelerate in the U.S. elections, we surveyed American consumers and employees on the role of business in national elections. The findings shine a light on the shifting landscape of public opinion at the intersection of business and politics. Read it here.

(First released March 2024)

2024 Global Elections Overview

In 2024, voting around the world will take place against a backdrop of geopolitical issues, driven by conflict, competition and economic uncertainty. This overview provides a quick snapshot of some of the most notable elections in 2024 and key issues to watch. Read it here.

(First released January 2024)

LEADING AT THE INTERSECTIONS 2024

Powell Tate’s Leading at the Intersections 2024 report covers six of the most front-and-center issues that impact businesses across all sectors including AI, geopolitics and the 2024 elections. Read it here.

(First released January 2024)

2024 U.S. ELECTIONS guidance

With the 2024 U.S. elections cycle underway, we’ve prepared guidance to inform how businesses consider and prepare for internal and external communications relative to the campaigns and elections. Read it here.

(First released November 2023)

For more information, contact our team:

John Files, EVP, North America Co-lead, Public Affairs

Meghann Curtis, EVP, North America Co-lead, Public Affairs

Amid the 2024 elections, Pulse on Political Narratives is a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered study identifying what candidates across the political spectrum are saying about issues that matter to companies and their stakeholders.