Anger, pain, and anguish over the centuries of systemic racism, sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Police, sent demonstrators to the streets across all 50 American states.
Americans were not ready to stay silent. Not this time. Not with over 100,000 American deaths (many of color and other minority groups) caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
These tensions sparked protests in several countries across the globe, too. This combo of crisis is a global one.
After months of readjusting communications to fit a world in lockdowns, brands are now reacting to the BLM issue. All while some of these same brands’ stores are being looted, damaged, and broken into. Talk about complexity.
As a result, #BlackLivesMatter campaigns flooded social media networks in recent days. But the question is, why? Are brands doing so just to check off the box to show their support? Or is there actual meaning behind each campaign… different meaning for each brand?
Fast Company’s Jeff Beer wrote that “Unfortunately, the reality of the groupthink, even if backed by the best of intentions, transformed these messages into homogenous—and largely meaningless—wallpaper,” in regards to the black screens posted on social media.
On the other hand, Nike, who has been leading the way with social messages for years, was first to release a video campaign on the matter. And they are genuinely seen as proud activists standing rightfully for racial justice. (working conditions in Asia aside)
“Today, consumers distinguish between differentiated brands that stand for certain values. These brands draw a large part of their equity because of their stand on social issues,” Jitender Dabas, chief operating officer at McCann Worldgroup India, adds to the discussion.
The sensitivity of it all was demonstrated when the SF 49ers – where Colin Kaepernick played and kneeled during the national anthem – participated in the George Floyd campaign on #BlackoutTuesday.
This caused social media outrage by many who remembered how Kaepernick’s peaceful protest met sharp criticism, including from Donald Trump, and resulted in the player being sort of blackballed by teams.
Many are posting angry comebacks to the team:
The fact is, brands just can’t – and shouldn’t – stay silent. No one should. And, if brands want to stay relevant – they must be truthful. Both black and white consumers said that if a brand declined to make an official statement about the protests, that would cause them to see a brand in a less favorable light.
See here:
When all is said and done, you can be sure that some brands are showing support just for the sake of showing it (not to be called a racist or because everyone else is). Others are doing so with real hope to help bring change.
Spotify stopped their music for minutes, for instance, Apple dedicated playlists to African American art. At the same time, some food and beverage companies temporarily paused sales to raise awareness.
Our message to marketers today is to be sure to choose an issue they feel they can genuinely stand behind. Then, send out communications that really help, and are more than lip service.
And make sure you’re using your resources wisely, too. Obviously, not everyone can afford to halt their product sales and stop their business from running as usual. But donating to or volunteering locally is both helpful and seems more attached.
Whether it be a small donation to an organization, showing support to a movement, signing a petition, or simply educating yourself on how to change the world for a better future. These are all significant, truthful initiatives that might seem more genuine and authentic to your consumers. On the route of helping bring change.