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Since 2020, there’s been increased social pressure for companies to take a position on highly divisive issues. It’s a difficult scenario for corporate communications that requires walking a fine line between hitting the right tone and potentially alienating your audience.
Data from Edelman’s recently released 2026 Trust Barometer suggests a different approach. From October 25 to November 16, 2025, Edelman surveyed over 33,000 adults worldwide about trust. What they found: Instead of taking a side, businesses should act as trust brokers, encouraging and facilitating cooperation rather than signaling support for one side vs. another.
When asked how a business could earn their trust when responding to a highly divisive social issue, a plurality of respondents (35%) said “encouraging people to cooperate on finding solutions without taking a side.”
This finding suggests that employees and consumers no longer expect companies to take a stand on divisive issues, instead preferring the company remain neutral (48%) than support one side vs. the other (41%).
Note that this does not mean they’re looking for companies to disengage… but rather to engage differently. By brokering cooperation rather than taking a side, companies can maintain trust with a broader set of employees and consumers.
2026 represents an opportunity to build trust internally and externally for the businesses who take a strategic approach to their communications. If your company seeks to invest in corporate communications that foster trust and collaboration, Seven Letter can help.
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