As hot-button topics become increasingly polarizing for the public, corporate communicators are strategically shifting engagement strategies, particularly around identity-centered issues.
Gravity Research assessed nearly 13,000 corporate engagements on key societal issues from over 750 companies — including public statements, community events, and philanthropic initiatives — from January 1, 2024, to October 31, 2025, to examine shifting strategies amid evolving risk dynamics. This year-over-year analysis identifies changes in leading companies’ public ties to a range of societal issues such as racial equity, LGBTQ+ equality, climate, and AI.
Key Findings
Identity-focused engagement sees the sharpest decline. DEI-related issue areas declined most precipitously, with racial equity engagement dropping 79% and LGBTQ+ equality down 73% since 2024. Industrials, healthcare, and financial services saw the steepest declines in these areas, likely due to their regulatory exposure and the Trump administration’s public scrutiny of corporate DEI.
AI & tech safety proved to be the clear priority for corporate communications. While most societal issue engagement across topics fell, AI-related engagement surged 86%, driven largely by product announcements and operational innovation. Corporate messaging is increasingly emphasizing AI’s competitive advantage and promise of better productivity, with limited reference to potential workforce impacts or safety risks.
Companies shifted toward lower-visibility engagement formats. External initiatives, such as statements and event sponsorships, declined sharply — 63% and 62%, respectively — as companies sought to limit public scrutiny, particularly around politicized issue areas. In contrast, lower-profile formats like community outreach events saw only a modest decline of 12%, underscoring a broader preference for engagement methods that carry reduced reputational risk.
Looking Ahead
With heightened political polarization, regulatory uncertainty, and an election year on the horizon, companies will likely recalibrate their 2026 communications strategies to favor local, lower-visibility engagement, such as small-business support and food-access initiatives, to limit reputational exposure while demonstrating social impact.
Download the full report to understand how corporate communicators are shifting engagement strategies ahead of 2026.
