Americans lose patience with activist CEOs
Source: Fortune
Consumer tolerance for corporate social commentary has shifted measurably—Fortune reports declining appetite for CEO lectures on social issues, even among traditionally progressive audiences. This matters because it upends a decade-long corporate strategy where purpose-washing and values signaling were treated as risk mitigation and brand loyalty tools. Companies now face the opposite reputational hazard: ostentatious activism reads as tone-deaf or performative to consumers who want functional products at fair prices.