People still see companies as being extremely important actors on the world stage. From 2019 to 2021, the number of people expecting brands to create stability in uncertain times rose 30%, and that number held steady in 2022. The expectation for companies to speak and act on large-scale societal issues is here to stay. People see brands as one of the most important institutions for driving positive change, right after government and media. But if people believe that only about half of companies are delivering on their purpose promises, how can brands convince them that they really are meeting those commitments? This focus on practicality is not a call for brands to abandon their ambitious plans— nearly all respondents say they want companies to have high- reaching goals. The distinction is that people say the effort devoted to these initiatives (think gender bias, climate change, etc.) should lean more heavily toward the practical 59%, versus the ambitious, 41%, respectively. The expectation for companies to speak and act on large-scale issues is here to stay. 59 % Practical Goal s 41 % Ambitious Goals 12