Overturning of Roe impacts consumer behavior, erodes trust in brands

The overturning of Roe v. Wade has significantly impacted consumers and eroded their trust in brands, according to research released by Mindshare and GroupM Tuesday. 

More than 40% of LGBTQIA+ consumers, Hispanic men and nonbinary individuals said they were more likely to change their purchasing decisions due to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June. 

Less than six months after the Dobbs decision, the issue of abortion rights remains a contentious issue for the advertising community. The Women’s Rights & Bodily Autonomy study gathered the opinions of nearly 2,200 respondents regarding the state of abortion rights in America in August.

More than one-third of women said they would stop purchasing from a brand if its CEO made regressive statements about bodily autonomy. Additionally, a majority of men, women and nonbinary individuals said they don’t trust brand statements related to the reversal of Roe, deeming them to be “inauthentic” and an attempt to win more consumers.

Forty-one percent of women, more than one-third of men and 62% of nonbinary individuals said that brands should support their employees by taking a stand on social issues around women’s rights and bodily autonomy. More than 50% of Gen Z and LGBTQIA+ consumers also said they would want brands to work with NGOs and abortion advocacy groups.

Beyond brands, the media also faces greater scrutiny from consumers around the topic of abortion. 

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said the media played a significant role spreading inaccurate information about the Dobbs decision. Meanwhile, a majority of women, men, nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ respondents said the media has a responsibility to educate people on bodily autonomy. 

Worries regarding the implications of reversing Roe extend across demographics, with more than 65% of women, men, nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ respondents saying the Dobbs decision is “dangerous” and puts their health at risk. 
Mindshare and GroupMdebuted the research at a special session at Advertising Week New York.