‘Won’t be able to escape’: Australia’s biggest brands face reputation hit from US-Iran war
Consumers may look past fuel crisis-related price hikes in the short term, but they are unlikely to let businesses off the hook if inflationary pressures persist.
Australia’s largest consumer brands are facing damage to their reputations if surging costs driven by conflict in the Middle East are passed on. And any significant loss of goodwill could inhibit the appetite to innovate with new products and services, according to new analysis.
DemosAU’s latest BrandWatch survey, which was undertaken between 9 to 14 April 2026, found Australia’s biggest supermarkets have experienced significant falls in consumer sentiment compared to a year prior, even before price hikes were signalled at their third quarter results, amid public concerns about rising costs driven by the US-Iran war.
DemosAU head of research George Hasanakos told Capital Brief inflation has “already taken its toll on Woolworths and Coles”, with consumer attitudes likely to deteriorate further following price hikes, even if “effectively forced upon them due to constraints in the economy”.
Compared to 2024, the net positive rating — taken by subtracting the percentage of those surveyed with a positive sentiment from the percentage with negative sentiment — fell by 9 points to 29% for Coles while it fell 7 points to 31% for Woolworths.
