Black Lives Matter For Brands: My Two Cents.
After the death of George Floyd, we - the people - are not the only ones fighting against racism. Companies are also taking a stance, often by taking a firm stance through their social media channels. But is that enough? Over the past weeks, journalists from a variety of news media asked me that question. Here's a roundup from the pieces they wrote up, my How to BLM for brands.
Look inside the office walls before educating the outside world.
A lot of brands that published BLM-statements faced social media backlash mainly because their boardrooms are too white to proclaim inclusiveness. Directions and decisions about corporate behavior are made at the top of an organization, but in this day and age, the top is still mainly dominated by white men. I believe that being real about beating racism or being inclusive means having a diverse set of perspectives from the inside out. And I do believe that if a brand is not diverse at the top, they will be called hypocrites and thus will face a negative impact from their BLM efforts. If black men are being choked to death on the streets fueling the largest protest the world has ever seen and all your brand does is posting a (well-meant) emotional tweet, it’s time to double-check yourself. That tweet or blacked-out Instagram post alone won’t make any kind of difference in the outside world. But what you do inside the office walls could. Start to make real change from within before educating the outside world.
Impact comes from commitment, not a campaign.
When it comes down to the political engagements of brands, you can define three categories of brands. First of all, some are born and raised with a strong sense of social commitment, think of Tony’s Chocolonely, Toms Shoes, or Patagonia. Shaped by their clear purpose, their business models strike a solid balance between people, planet, and profit. Secondly, there are those that are in a transformation to become a better corporate citizen. These are often bigger corporations with the right intentions, on a path to make a positive difference but they will have to make purely profit-driven decisions on their transformation, which is perfectly understandable as long as they’re on a genuine transformative journey. Then there is a third class of brands that aren’t committed to a social cause, but their marketeers or agencies mistakenly feel their brands are an indispensable force that can fuel righteousness in an unjust world, just by a sexy social media campaign. Ticking the social media box is way too easy and you will probably face backfiring faster than you can say oops. If your social initiative only lives inside the marketing department, you’re going to get crushed.
If you are after positive results, commit your brand to fight racism and increase inclusivity for the long run. Don’t just create a campaign, create a plan with concrete measures and actions that will make your brand accountable for change. Communicate that plan and communicate actions solidify the plan in the real world. If your brand is committed like that, you can expect positive business results. And I mean real business impact; revenue, earned attention, brand equity, a more engaged workforce, and off course the actual impact on the social cause you’re committed to. Work for a cause, not for applause.
Spark change, don’t just join in on it.
News flash: just because everybody is blacking out their social media, doesn’t mean you have to. Your brand won’t stand out and - especially when you can’t tick the box on my previous two suggestions - your brand will probably be impacted negatively. Explore other social causes that might have a stronger brand fit, creating a force that stands out. Wait for another moment in time, all the while preparing your brand. You don’t have to do something now, better yet: you can choose to time your social initiative to a moment that is less crowded. Just have a look at the UN Millennium Development Goals or discover issues locally. Choose to spark change yourself, at a moment of your choosing and with a cause that fits your strategy authentically. Change before the world forces you to change.
