Wall Street has been silent about the abortion debate. After a draft opinion of the Supreme Court was made public, one of the largest public relations agencies in the world is encouraging its clients to use their right to remain silent. This follows the possibility that Roe v. Wade might be overturned. This has sparked a national debate about abortion and the role that the federal government plays in its regulation.
Popular Information from Judd Legum’s Substack publication:
According to a communication received by Popular Information, Zeno, a huge public relations firm, advises its corporate clients not to comment on the Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe V. Wade.
Zeno’s clients include Coca-Cola and Hershey’s as well as Netflix and Starbucks.
Katie Cwayna, Executive Vice President of Media Strategy for the company, sent a template email that she shared with clients. Clients are warned that the media will “look for corporations to stand up and make their opinions known.”
Cwayna says companies must close the gap on this matter. The email:
Don’t take a position you can’t change, especially if the decision isn’t final. This is a classic “50/50” topic. Companies can find themselves in no-win situations when they try to divide the country. They will likely alienate at most 15-30 percent of their stakeholders.
Vice President warned corporations to be aware of media “fishing” for opinions about controversial issues. “Often, during the controversy, media will ask general questions to several peer organizations. The first to raise its hand becomes the leader.” It is not recommended to be at the center of a situation like this. Therefore, it is important to manage general inquiries with care,” the message said.
The letter advises clients to refrain from asking direct questions about their company’s position and not to respond to any questions about the company’s position on the issue.
Popular Information asked Barby Siegel to comment on the Zeno CEO email. She claimed that the email did not accurately reflect Zeno’s position or the variety of advice Zeno is providing clients.
She continued:
It was designed to provide advice to clients within 24 hours of breaking news.
Siegel explained that while the company supports equal access to healthcare and women’s rights to make healthcare decisions, it recognizes that there are many opinions and views in this world.
It is telling, however, that a well-respected PR company understands how important it is for corporations to remain silent on controversial topics. Maybe Disney could have benefited from Zeno’s services prior to its leadership deciding to bow to the woke fringe.
It is possible that major corporations will begin to rethink their woke corporatism after the Disney disaster. Although it may have been beneficial after George Floyd’s murder, there are signs that it could be causing more harm than good. This could be the start of corporations becoming more apolitical. A guy can dream, can’t he?
