Gone are the days when companies were expected to focus on their business and stay on the sidelines while other parties engaged in important societal discourse. Recent Purple Strategies polling shows a significant majority of the Informed Public (77%) thinks businesses should stand up and speak out when it comes to societal and political issues, including 40% who want to see that action any time an issue aligns or conflicts with the company’s values, even if those issues do not clearly or directly connect to their brand. Excelling in this reality requires companies to have a crystal-clear vision of what they stand for and be ready to act decisively when an important issue affirms or comes into conflict with that view.