WASHINGTON—Confirming that civic engagement, democratic elections, and other large-scale efforts had effectively ceased to have any influence, a report published Thursday from the Pew Research Center determined that advertisers threatening to pull out of a sponsorship deal is now the sole remaining means of bringing about change in the United States. “Whereas in the past, one could rally support around a cause and demand sweeping reforms at the local, state, or national level, the only scenario in which that could ever occur today would involve an organization finding itself at risk of losing some or all of its ad revenue and consequently making swift concessions to its sponsors,” said researcher Alan Kellerman, adding that the only recent instances of considerable change taking place in the country have come directly as a result of major brands publicly expressing their disappointment with their media partner’s conduct and warning that they could nullify a six-, seven-, or eight-figure deal effective immediately. “However, provided that a company such as PepsiCo, Chevrolet, or Burger King believes its brand image is being damaged through an advertising partnership, there is simply no limit to the comprehensive, sweeping changes that could almost instantaneously take place.” While noting that advertisers alone possess the power to inspire progress, the report went on to confirm that such companies rarely, if ever, actually follow through on their threats.

Advertisement