A Decade of Change: The Shift in Corporate Communications Following the 2016 Election

The 2016 election brought a pivotal shift in the external communications of businesses with their consumers. The shift was from the established practice of businesses selectively and voluntarily choosing to comment on social issues, to now businesses’ consumers and employees expecting a comment. While political and social subjects were once considered off-limit conversations, some businesses found themselves in the middle of election rhetoric and taking sides on candidates. As a result of this shift, issues such as abortion, discrimination, gun control, and current political policies, which were once closed-door, private conversations, are now being discussed openly by CEOs. I have gathered research from scholarly outlets, business publications, statements from executives and companies, as well as resulting news coverage and commentary. Throughout this thesis, I will explore how the 2016 election brought about a pivotal change in how and when corporations release statements publicly as a response to current events. To understand this change in corporate communications I will provide the history of how corporate communications were viewed and shared with their consumers since the 1930s, and what it has evolved to today.