One Year Out from 2020 Election, Rock the Vote Launches Brands for Democracy Initiative with Major Brand Support

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, November 5th, Rock the Vote, the non-partisan, non-profit dedicated to building the political power of young people, is launching Brands for Democracy.
The initiative, which launches on Election Day 2019 and one year out from the 2020 presidential election, brings together companies committed to creating a culture built around increasing civic participation through voter registration, education, and mobilization.
As part of the launch, Rock the Vote announced that over a half a dozen leading brands from across industries have already joined the effort including; Comedy Central, DoorDash, Gap. Inc., HBO, Hulu, Paramount Network, TV Land and Yelp.
“Over the last few years, we have seen increasing energy among companies stepping up to encourage voter participation among their employees and customers, most notably through national efforts to give employees time off to vote,” said Rock the Vote President & Executive Director Carolyn DeWitt. “Brands for Democracy calls on companies to do more and provides them with access to trusted and vetted tools, resources, information, and guidance to help them navigate and responsibly implement civic engagement efforts to ensure their employees and customers have everything they need to cast a ballot.”
Brands who join the Brands for Democracy initiative will have the opportunity, among other things, to work directly with Rock the Vote to receive customizable civic technology, voter education resources, volunteer engagement opportunities, research and best practices, and toolkits to empower employees and customers to use their voice and vote and to give back to their communities.
This initiative builds on Rock the Vote’s nearly thirty years of being a trusted partner to companies dedicated to civic action. In 2016, corporate partner efforts accounted for nearly 340,000 voter registration applications, or 20% of all applications on Rock the Vote’s online voter registration platform for the year.
Today, there is more pressure than ever on companies to be vocal about their values and to be fully committed through impactful actions and opportunities. Recent data points to the importance young people put in companies and the place they work sharing their values. Millennials and Gen Z currently make up 38% of the workforce and next year, they are projected to comprise over 50%. Not to mention, Millennials and Gen Z have unparalleled spending power. 88% say their job is more fulfilling when employers provide opportunities to make a positive impact. 75% say they would take a pay cut to work for a responsible company and 83% say they would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to social and environmental issues. Nine out of ten millennials would switch to a brand because of its association with a cause and eight out of ten millennials expect companies to make public declarations of their corporate citizenship. 76% of Millennials consider a company’s social and environmental impacts when deciding where to work. All data points to brands needing to do more to attract and retain young talented employees and increase brand loyalty among customers. Doing good is good for business.
“A healthy democracy requires a culture that values civic engagement. Brands have an enormous role in both helping to shift our culture to one that celebrates civic awareness and participation and in helping to reach potential voters, particularly new and younger voters who many not otherwise be reached by campaigns and parties.” DeWitt added.
Find several statements from participating brands below and to learn more about Rock the Vote’s Brands for Democracy visit www.BrandsForDemocracy.org.
Statements from Companies Joining Brands for Democracy
Yelp: “At Yelp, we believe every voice and vote matters in our Democracy. That’s why we are dedicated to ensuring our employees have the support they need to be active in the civic process. Rock the Vote’s Brands for Democracy will give us the tools to actively encourage and implement voter registration, civic education and mobilization throughout our company,” said Miriam Warren, Vice President of Engagement, Diversity and Belonging at Yelp. “We are proud to join this collective effort.”
DoorDash: “DoorDash’s mission is to grow and empower local communities and an essential part of a thriving community is ensuring every voice is heard,” said Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, DoorDash’s VP, Marketing. “We are committed to doing our part to encourage participation in our democracy and are proud to partner with Rock the Vote for their ‘Brands for Democracy’ effort to create a culture that values and celebrates civic engagement.”
HBO: “At HBO, we believe every voice and vote matters within our Democracy. That’s why we are dedicated to ensuring our employees and viewers at HBO and across WarnerMedia will have everything they need to be active in the civic process. Rock the Vote’s Brands for Democracy gives us the tools to actively encourage and implement voter registration, civic education and mobilization throughout our company,” said Pam Hacker, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, HBO. “We are proud to continue our work with Rock the Rock and this collective effort.”
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Contact: Andrew Feldman, Andrew@feldmanstrategies.com, 781–820–6650
