Brands are facing growing pressure to speak out about racism as surveys show that the killing of George Floyd has prompted a sharp shift in US consumer attitudes about a subject many marketers had long sought to avoid. 

Some 60 per cent of Americans would now boycott or buy from a brand based on its response to Floyd’s killing, according to a poll released today by Edelman, the public relations consultancy. 

The young, diverse and high-spending consumers who companies most covet are leading the shift, with 80 per cent of black consumers, 70 per cent of 18-34 year olds and 63 per cent of women saying they would change their buying patterns as a result. Brands which took a stand were four times more likely to gain consumers’ trust than lose it, Edelman found.