How Brands Can Address Racial Injustice
Editor’s note: On this page, you will find a collection of noteworthy words and ideas that brands expressed and actions that brands are taking in response to the racial crisis. It will be updated regularly with new highlights and links.
While most brands want to respond to what is going on in America today, many struggle to find the right way to do so. We hope that our research will provide some guidance and ideas.
“We Stand Together” by Snap CEO Evan Spiegel
A marketing magazine Adweek had a scheduled webinar ” Virtual Spotlight Series” with Snapchat. On June 2nd, all attendees received an email postponing the webinar “in light of recent events.”
The email referred to the letter from Snap CEO which begins with the following words:
“Dear Team,
As Lara shared last week, we had been planning on discussing the deaths of George, Ahmaud, and Breonna tomorrow morning at Snap in Focus, but as I grappled with the long legacy of racial violence and injustice in America, it felt wrong to wait. Every minute we are silent in the face of evil and wrongdoing we are acting in support of evildoers. I am sorry for waiting to share my feelings with you...”
The letter speaks about the steps required to create a change, highlights the research that supports such steps, and reaffirms Snap’s commitment to fighting injustice. You can read the letter here: https://www.snap.com/en-US/news/post/we-stand-together/
#BlackOutTeusday on Social Media
Black squares replaced colorful images on social media and #BlackoutTuesday hashtag dominated social media space. However, the use of #BLM hashtag in this connection was criticized by some for being reductive. This is what you need to know about it: https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/2/21277852/blackout-tuesday-posts-hiding-information-blm-black-lives-matter-hashtag
Brands Donating to the BLM Movement
Many brands have responded to the racial crisis by donating to anti-racism campaigns and publicly standing by the black community. Many of these donations went to legal organizations supporting justice and equality such as Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Equal Justice Initiative, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
You can read more about the companies supporting the BLM movement financially here:
You Are Invited to Contribute
This only the beginning of our (re)search and we will continue updating this page with more highlights and stories.
Do you know of any brand that provided a noteworthy response to this crisis? Please feel free to share your notes with us and we will highlight them on this page. You can email your notes to [email protected]. Thank you.