Starbucks

SBUX
3.8
Companies list

Public Statements Risk

4

Starbucks' union busting angers the left, while its attempts to diffuse culture war issues anger the right. Both generate press. The company is highly visible.

Political Contributions Risk

2

Starbucks leans heavily Democratic but its total donations are in the middle to lower end of the sector.

Political Dichotomy Risk

4

The company's political donations generally align with its slight left consumer base. However, its union positions create significant risk. Unionization and climate change are listed as risk factors, creating tension between a left leaning customer base, the need to address climate change, and the incentive to keep labor costs down. As a strongly customer centric business, they're vulnerable to customer boycotts as well as 'changing customer tastes'. Additionally, Starbucks is a 'lifestyle brand' where people see their patronage as part of their identity.

Associational Risk

4

Political support of Joe Biden. But recent headlines show rifts between the company and Democrats due to union issues. Biden and Sanders met with union organizing Starbucks employees to support them. Starbucks' social media pages show collaborations with social media influencers (not super famous ones who are controversial, however) and recently the band Blackpink. The company has influencers who support LGBTQ+/diversity/people with disabilities.

Brand Visibility Risk

5

As an incredibly visible brand, their only form of insulation is their geographic diversity. Extremely exposed to any kind of controversy, and their customers have many alternatives.

Political Hazard (pH) Ratings Explained

A corporation’s Political Hazard Rating, or pH rating, is an overall assessment of the corporation’s likelihood of facing a material consumer boycott or investor backlash from a controversy caused by the company’s or its executives’ political activities and proclivities. The pH ratings range from 1 to 5, with a higher rating correlating with higher risk. The categories below are the components considered when setting a company’s pH rating.

Public Statements Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and the corporations’ own prior public political statements, including their frequency and whether they have tended to be, or actually have been, controversial or high-profile.

Political Dichotomy Risk

Rates the corporation based on the dichotomy, if any, between the executives’ and/or corporations’ own prior political contributions or statements and the likely political leaning of the corporation’s consumer base.

Political Contributions Risk

Rates the corporation based on the magnitude of the executives’ and/or corporations’ total political contributions to politicians and PACs, benchmarked to sector, and the weighted nature of those contributions as between political parties.

Associational Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and/or the corporation’s own prior political contributions and/or public association with particularly controversial people or high-profile politicians or PACs.

Brand Visibility Risk

Rates the corporation's risk relative to sector with higher risk being associated with higher brand visibility

Starbucks

SBUX
3.8
Companies list

Public Statements Risk

4

Starbucks' union busting angers the left, while its attempts to diffuse culture war issues anger the right. Both generate press. The company is highly visible.

Political Contributions Risk

2

Starbucks leans heavily Democratic but its total donations are in the middle to lower end of the sector.

Political Dichotomy Risk

4

The company's political donations generally align with its slight left consumer base. However, its union positions create significant risk. Unionization and climate change are listed as risk factors, creating tension between a left leaning customer base, the need to address climate change, and the incentive to keep labor costs down. As a strongly customer centric business, they're vulnerable to customer boycotts as well as 'changing customer tastes'. Additionally, Starbucks is a 'lifestyle brand' where people see their patronage as part of their identity.

Associational Risk

4

Political support of Joe Biden. But recent headlines show rifts between the company and Democrats due to union issues. Biden and Sanders met with union organizing Starbucks employees to support them. Starbucks' social media pages show collaborations with social media influencers (not super famous ones who are controversial, however) and recently the band Blackpink. The company has influencers who support LGBTQ+/diversity/people with disabilities.

Brand Visibility Risk

5

As an incredibly visible brand, their only form of insulation is their geographic diversity. Extremely exposed to any kind of controversy, and their customers have many alternatives.

Political Hazard (pH) Ratings Explained

A corporation’s Political Hazard Rating, or pH rating, is an overall assessment of the corporation’s likelihood of facing a material consumer boycott or investor backlash from a controversy caused by the company’s or its executives’ political activities and proclivities. The pH ratings range from 1 to 5, with a higher rating correlating with higher risk. The categories below are the components considered when setting a company’s pH rating.

Public Statements Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and the corporations’ own prior public political statements, including their frequency and whether they have tended to be, or actually have been, controversial or high-profile.

Political Dichotomy Risk

Rates the corporation based on the dichotomy, if any, between the executives’ and/or corporations’ own prior political contributions or statements and the likely political leaning of the corporation’s consumer base.

Political Contributions Risk

Rates the corporation based on the magnitude of the executives’ and/or corporations’ total political contributions to politicians and PACs, benchmarked to sector, and the weighted nature of those contributions as between political parties.

Associational Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and/or the corporation’s own prior political contributions and/or public association with particularly controversial people or high-profile politicians or PACs.

Brand Visibility Risk

Rates the corporation's risk relative to sector with higher risk being associated with higher brand visibility

Starbucks

SBUX
3.8
Companies list

Public Statements Risk

4

Starbucks' union busting angers the left, while its attempts to diffuse culture war issues anger the right. Both generate press. The company is highly visible.

Political Contributions Risk

2

Starbucks leans heavily Democratic but its total donations are in the middle to lower end of the sector.

Political Dichotomy Risk

4

The company's political donations generally align with its slight left consumer base. However, its union positions create significant risk. Unionization and climate change are listed as risk factors, creating tension between a left leaning customer base, the need to address climate change, and the incentive to keep labor costs down. As a strongly customer centric business, they're vulnerable to customer boycotts as well as 'changing customer tastes'. Additionally, Starbucks is a 'lifestyle brand' where people see their patronage as part of their identity.

Associational Risk

4

Political support of Joe Biden. But recent headlines show rifts between the company and Democrats due to union issues. Biden and Sanders met with union organizing Starbucks employees to support them. Starbucks' social media pages show collaborations with social media influencers (not super famous ones who are controversial, however) and recently the band Blackpink. The company has influencers who support LGBTQ+/diversity/people with disabilities.

Brand Visibility Risk

5

As an incredibly visible brand, their only form of insulation is their geographic diversity. Extremely exposed to any kind of controversy, and their customers have many alternatives.

Political Hazard (pH) Ratings Explained

A corporation’s Political Hazard Rating, or pH rating, is an overall assessment of the corporation’s likelihood of facing a material consumer boycott or investor backlash from a controversy caused by the company’s or its executives’ political activities and proclivities. The pH ratings range from 1 to 5, with a higher rating correlating with higher risk. The categories below are the components considered when setting a company’s pH rating.

Public Statements Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and the corporations’ own prior public political statements, including their frequency and whether they have tended to be, or actually have been, controversial or high-profile.

Political Dichotomy Risk

Rates the corporation based on the dichotomy, if any, between the executives’ and/or corporations’ own prior political contributions or statements and the likely political leaning of the corporation’s consumer base.

Political Contributions Risk

Rates the corporation based on the magnitude of the executives’ and/or corporations’ total political contributions to politicians and PACs, benchmarked to sector, and the weighted nature of those contributions as between political parties.

Associational Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and/or the corporation’s own prior political contributions and/or public association with particularly controversial people or high-profile politicians or PACs.

Brand Visibility Risk

Rates the corporation's risk relative to sector with higher risk being associated with higher brand visibility

Starbucks

SBUX
3.8
Companies list

Public Statements Risk

4

Starbucks' union busting angers the left, while its attempts to diffuse culture war issues anger the right. Both generate press. The company is highly visible.

Political Contributions Risk

2

Starbucks leans heavily Democratic but its total donations are in the middle to lower end of the sector.

Political Dichotomy Risk

4

The company's political donations generally align with its slight left consumer base. However, its union positions create significant risk. Unionization and climate change are listed as risk factors, creating tension between a left leaning customer base, the need to address climate change, and the incentive to keep labor costs down. As a strongly customer centric business, they're vulnerable to customer boycotts as well as 'changing customer tastes'. Additionally, Starbucks is a 'lifestyle brand' where people see their patronage as part of their identity.

Associational Risk

4

Political support of Joe Biden. But recent headlines show rifts between the company and Democrats due to union issues. Biden and Sanders met with union organizing Starbucks employees to support them. Starbucks' social media pages show collaborations with social media influencers (not super famous ones who are controversial, however) and recently the band Blackpink. The company has influencers who support LGBTQ+/diversity/people with disabilities.

Brand Visibility Risk

5

As an incredibly visible brand, their only form of insulation is their geographic diversity. Extremely exposed to any kind of controversy, and their customers have many alternatives.

Political Hazard (pH) Ratings Explained

A corporation’s Political Hazard Rating, or pH rating, is an overall assessment of the corporation’s likelihood of facing a material consumer boycott or investor backlash from a controversy caused by the company’s or its executives’ political activities and proclivities. The pH ratings range from 1 to 5, with a higher rating correlating with higher risk. The categories below are the components considered when setting a company’s pH rating.

Public Statements Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and the corporations’ own prior public political statements, including their frequency and whether they have tended to be, or actually have been, controversial or high-profile.

Political Dichotomy Risk

Rates the corporation based on the dichotomy, if any, between the executives’ and/or corporations’ own prior political contributions or statements and the likely political leaning of the corporation’s consumer base.

Political Contributions Risk

Rates the corporation based on the magnitude of the executives’ and/or corporations’ total political contributions to politicians and PACs, benchmarked to sector, and the weighted nature of those contributions as between political parties.

Associational Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and/or the corporation’s own prior political contributions and/or public association with particularly controversial people or high-profile politicians or PACs.

Brand Visibility Risk

Rates the corporation's risk relative to sector with higher risk being associated with higher brand visibility

Starbucks

SBUX
3.8
Companies list

Public Statements Risk

4

Starbucks' union busting angers the left, while its attempts to diffuse culture war issues anger the right. Both generate press. The company is highly visible.

Political Contributions Risk

2

Starbucks leans heavily Democratic but its total donations are in the middle to lower end of the sector.

Political Dichotomy Risk

4

The company's political donations generally align with its slight left consumer base. However, its union positions create significant risk. Unionization and climate change are listed as risk factors, creating tension between a left leaning customer base, the need to address climate change, and the incentive to keep labor costs down. As a strongly customer centric business, they're vulnerable to customer boycotts as well as 'changing customer tastes'. Additionally, Starbucks is a 'lifestyle brand' where people see their patronage as part of their identity.

Associational Risk

4

Political support of Joe Biden. But recent headlines show rifts between the company and Democrats due to union issues. Biden and Sanders met with union organizing Starbucks employees to support them. Starbucks' social media pages show collaborations with social media influencers (not super famous ones who are controversial, however) and recently the band Blackpink. The company has influencers who support LGBTQ+/diversity/people with disabilities.

Brand Visibility Risk

5

As an incredibly visible brand, their only form of insulation is their geographic diversity. Extremely exposed to any kind of controversy, and their customers have many alternatives.

Political Hazard (pH) Ratings Explained

A corporation’s Political Hazard Rating, or pH rating, is an overall assessment of the corporation’s likelihood of facing a material consumer boycott or investor backlash from a controversy caused by the company’s or its executives’ political activities and proclivities. The pH ratings range from 1 to 5, with a higher rating correlating with higher risk. The categories below are the components considered when setting a company’s pH rating.

Public Statements Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and the corporations’ own prior public political statements, including their frequency and whether they have tended to be, or actually have been, controversial or high-profile.

Political Dichotomy Risk

Rates the corporation based on the dichotomy, if any, between the executives’ and/or corporations’ own prior political contributions or statements and the likely political leaning of the corporation’s consumer base.

Political Contributions Risk

Rates the corporation based on the magnitude of the executives’ and/or corporations’ total political contributions to politicians and PACs, benchmarked to sector, and the weighted nature of those contributions as between political parties.

Associational Risk

Rates the corporation based on its executives’ and/or the corporation’s own prior political contributions and/or public association with particularly controversial people or high-profile politicians or PACs.

Brand Visibility Risk

Rates the corporation's risk relative to sector with higher risk being associated with higher brand visibility

See this company on INDEXALIGN

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“As a political data company, we are uniquely positioned to measure a company’s pH.” Abigail Wuest, CEO