Dozens of companies and countless nonprofit organizations shared public statements after the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial last week, in which a jury found the former police officer guilty of three counts including second-degree unintentional murder nearly a year after George Floyd’s death. The statements ranged from focusing on accountability to healing for Floyd’s family.
The statements are recent examples of brands using their platforms to elevate, or at least acknowledge, racial violence and inequity in our society and systems. The past few years have made especially clear that corporate social responsibility is not a “nice to have” but a necessity.
And the public agrees. In a recent Edelman Public Trust poll, nearly 90 percent of respondents across 27 countries said they expect CEOs to speak out on societal issues. It’s not enough to just acknowledge what’s happening in the news; conscious consumers expect that brands will also advocate for meaningful change.
While the message from the public is clear, how to deliver on that call is less so. While the nature of public statements is often reactionary – responding to the latest instance of racial violence and white supremacy or reacting to a public policy or Supreme Court decision, for example – companies can still have a framework through which to decide if, when, or how to voice their values. Consider questions like these as a guide:
Does this issue affect the people we serve or work alongside? The answer to this question is almost always “yes”, because all organizations are made up of people with various lived experiences, and brands are serving a diversity of consumers.
Are we adding value? Platitudes like “thoughts and prayers” without substance will fall flat. Having a call to action is important. Brands, especially those with big marketing megaphones, can use their platforms to advocate for policy change. After the Parkland school shooting, for example, Dick’s Sporting Goods was among the first corporations to change its gun sale regulations, while the U.S. government did nothing. It’s one thing to call for change; it’s another to take matters into your own hands.
Do we have expertise to offer? This is particularly important for nonprofit leaders to consider when using their organizational voice: Lift up expertise, research, or resources that can provide context around the issue. Is there a how-to guide on racial equity in the workplace? Include it in messaging to supporters to add valuable, action-oriented teeth to what is said.
Have we done the internal work? Think about the makeup of the organization’s leadership, supporters, and partners to ensure it is walking the walk or is on a path toward progress. Sharing the steps the organization is taking to embed anti-racist practices into its everyday work, for example, can take racial justice-related statements from hollow to more holistic.
Companies taking stands on social issues matters. Having a plan and messaging framework in place will allow organizations to react in a timely and intentional way. For brands to express their values, it takes more than words.
