Forbes: Despite Political Polarization, Survey Shows Broad Bipartisan Support For Corporate ESG Efforts

The results of ROKK’s new survey show that despite increased political polarization in the U.S., there is broad bipartisan support for corporate efforts on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. While the findings could ease corporate reluctance about speaking out on these hot button issues, they underscore the importance of navigating political divides—and could reinforce or raise new concerns for business leaders.

Read more about the groundbreaking study Across The Aisle: Unlocking the Bipartisan Power of ESG as reported by Edward Segal of Forbes here.

Penn State business professor Tessa Recendes and the public affairs firm ROKK Solutions find “public opinion on ESG is not nearly as polarized as popular narratives suggest.”

One key finding: stronger support among voters under 45. This “indicates companies should capitalize on generational trends in the workforce and financial markets as these constituents gain influence.”

Read more about the groundbreaking study Across The Aisle: Unlocking the Bipartisan Power of ESG as reported exclusively by Axios here.

Although it has many different uses, at its core ESG forms the foundation of a company’s social responsibility and can be used as a measure of their commitment to it.

With the rising expectations for companies to create a positive impact on society from a variety of stakeholders and brands increasingly taking public stands on critical societal issues, understanding ESG is more crucial now than it has ever been. Yet, there is very little understanding of how views of ESG correlate to political beliefs. This report seeks to clarify public opinion on ESG issues across party lines, the impact of these efforts on constituent behavior, and how corporations can use ESG efforts to more effectively engage with stakeholders to advance public policy goals. Insights gained from this study provide surprising evidence of the bipartisan support for ESG efforts. 

Download the report to see what we found, and how it can apply to your organization.

Plenty of Republicans are readily accepting the former president’s endorsement even after they denounced him, and are now even encouraging him to run again. Co-founding Partner Ron Bonjean shares his perspective with Eric Garcia here.

President Joe Biden’s signature economic plan, which the White House calls “Build Back Better,” is suffering from a branding problem: Americans aren’t sure what it would do. With the contents of the plan changing day-by-day, just 10% of Americans say they know specifics of the bill, and only about a third think it would help them directly. Co-founding Partner Ron Bonjean shares his thoughts with Bloomberg on the messaging around the bill here.

With the 2022 congressional elections less than 13 months away, President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies could face a bigger challenge retaining control of Congress as Republicans harden their opposition to his legislative agenda. Co-founding Partner Ron Bonjean shares his thoughts with Reuters here.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Joe Mathieu delivers insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy.

Guests: Illinois Democratic Congressman Sean Casten, ROKK Solutions Partner Kristen Hawn, Bloomberg Politics Contributor Rick Davis, and Bloomberg national politics reporter, Ryan Teague Beckwith.

Listen here.

Washington, D.C. –ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy, politics and communications has added Michelle Anderson to its senior leadership team as Head of Marketing and Development.

Anderson has been a senior advisor for ROKK since April 2020, leading the strategic marketing efforts for the firm. Her newly created role will align with ROKK’s next phase of growth, as she oversees marketing, business development and talent and culture for the growing agency. 

“Michelle has been a fantastic addition to the team, and we are happy to have her talents at ROKK full-time,” said Co-Founding Partner Rodell Mollineau. “As we move into the next phase of our growth, delivering the best thinking and strategic execution for our clients means having someone focused not just on bringing in new business, but on talent and culture initiatives. Michelle’s background and personality are a great fit for this critical role at ROKK.”

Anderson brings over 15 years of strategic integrated marketing expertise, with a focus on business growth and development. Before joining Spectrum Science to build their internal marketing function, she spent six years at Capital One where she focused on small business credit card marketing, including building and launching the SPARK business card. Her experiences in financial services and healthcare also include time spent at T. Rowe Price, where she focused on advisor marketing. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with dual concentrations in International Marketing and International Management from the Kogod School of Business at American University. 

“It’s exciting to work with an agency that has invested so much in their people and in building their in-house capabilities,” said Anderson. “ROKK has both the strategic thinking and the tactical execution skills to handle multi-million dollar digital campaigns, viral media campaigns, sensitive crisis initiatives and everything in between. I’m looking forward to contributing to this next phase of their growth.”

ROKK has undergone a strategic expansion over the past 36 months, resulting in double-digit growth, a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities and various accolades including two years on the Agency Elite 100 list and recognition from PR News Platinum Awards, PRovoke IN2 SABRES, PRovoke SABRE awards and the Bulldog PR awards. With in-house capabilities in digital and paid media, creative, crisis communications, social impact communications and more, ROKK is a sought-after agency for Fortune 100 organizations, nonprofits and associations looking to build relationships and impact change in Washington.

Rodell Mollineau, co-founder and partner of ROKK Solutions and former Sen. Harry Reid staffer, joins Julie Mason on Julie Mason Mornings on SiriusXM to discuss the fierce debate over the debt ceiling. Listen here.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) has emerged this fall as the biggest mystery in the Senate Democratic caucus as colleagues scramble to figure out what it will take to get her to vote for a budget reconciliation to enact President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. 

The latest curveball from Sinema is an interview where she talked about the urgent need to address climate change. Her comments have helped create new political momentum behind a carbon tax even though the idea didn’t seem to be going anywhere just a few weeks ago. 

Co-founding partner and Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau shares his insights with Senior Reporter Alexander Bolton in this article for The Hill.