Show me, don’t tell me: One year later, what have brands done about anti-Black racism?

Black Lives Matter protest in Melbourne — Stop Black Deaths in Custody — Justice for George Floyd #BLM. Photo by Kon Karampelas on Unsplash.

May 25th marked one year since the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. Floyd’s death sparked protests around the world against anti-Black racism and led to a flurry of brands speaking out. In June 2020, Numerator found that brands spent over $1.6M on television advertising focused on racial justice, a 5.5x increase on the past two years combined. Brands with a history of social justice work, such as Ben & Jerry’s, were lauded for their continued support and authenticity; yet, more often, branded communications were reactionary and vague.

Social media was ripe with critiques of these brands, such as Chris Franklin’s viral tweet: A Statement from Brand ® showing the familiar template of white text on a black background, with messaging lacking in any tangible action (pictured below).

Activists, such as Pull Up for Change’s Sharon Chuter began highlighting brands whose words were disconnected from their actions. In one instance, British model and transgender rights activist Munroe Bergdorf responded to a L’Oreal post that declared “speaking out is worth it”. Bergdorf revealed that the beauty giant had terminated her contract after she spoke out against white supremacy. Shortly after, L’Oreal apologised and invited Bergdorf to join a UK diversity and inclusion advisory board, where she would help to inform the company’s action plans.

In a sense, while these tiny black squares with vague white text felt performative, they marked the first time that a wave of mainstream brands and advertising agencies publicly acknowledged anti-Black racism. The question on everyone’s mind was whether this new wave of racial justice campaigns was simply lip service or a changing tide.

According to the Drum, six months after the Black Lives Matter protests, numerous media groups pledged to formalise Diversity & Inclusion councils, make Diversity & Inclusion commitments, or donate funds to charity. Similarly, Ad Age began tracking progress of brands, such as TikTok’s newly formed incubator for Black creatives.

Public statements and donations served an important role in catalyzing collective action; however, one year later, collective engagement has slowed. Campaign highlights that “the percentage of donations to social justice organisations drop[ped] to 5% of overall donations this year, down from nearly half in June 2020”. One year later, we have a long way to go, so how can we keep the momentum going?

1. Leaders need to champion anti-racism work: Diversity efforts fail when leaders do not champion anti-racism work directly, often because they themselves are not personally impacted by systemic racism. According to the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, only 12% of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) came from non-Caucasian backgrounds. In the UK, 95% of C-suite executives in advertising are white. While leaders might not have personal anti-racism expertise, they have the responsibility to learn and ensure organisational action, because these issues impact their employees and consumers.
2. Marketers need to challenge how brands are built: Diversity efforts fail when initiatives are mandated instead of employees voluntarily choosing to participate. It is critical for every employee to understand how anti-Black racism connects to their day-to-day work, so that they opt to champion diversity efforts themselves. For marketers, this means unpacking how bias pervades consumer targets, communications, and product development. According to Nielsen, African American buying power will grow to $1.8T by 2024 and this group is 37% more likely to purchase from brands that take a stance on social issues. It means that marketers will need to connect to black consumers in a meaningful and sustained way. Every single marketer will need to learn, unlearn, and challenge how brands are built.
3. Industry groups need to catalyse systemic change: Industry groups around the world, such as the Black British Media Society, have continued to push for equity. The World Federation of Advertisers highlights five actions that every business can take in their 2020 guide for diversity and inclusion. More recently, in March 2021, they’ve published a guide to identifying bias throughout the creative funnel. These groups can foster learning and accountability for change.
4. Brands and agencies need to measure and report on progress: Donations or short-lived partnerships fail to address the underlying problems in the marketing field. Stakeholders will need to demonstrate a continued focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In the United States, 600 & Rising, issued a Call for Change with twelve actions to address systemic racism in the advertising industry. Drawing inspiration from their American colleagues, People of Colour in Advertising & Marketing (POCAM) launched the Call for Equity inviting agencies to publish their progress in an effort to hold businesses accountable for change. Clear and standardized reporting on progress will be critical in continuing the fight against anti-Black racism.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. Image by Chris Franklin on Twitter.