Should brands speak out on race?

It has taken me several days to put pen to paper on the topic of the George Floyd protests, which are the culmination of a long-ignored, but much needed international conversation about race, inequality and injustice. My hesitance has not been out of indifference, but rather a level of outrage that inhibits productive thought.

I do not speak for all Black people, but I will echo sentiments that I have heard and that I believe are relevant to people in my business.

As we are called on by clients to help brands navigate what is, admittedly, complex terrain, there are a few questions that we first need to ask ourselves and our clients:

1. What is the starting point? What is their history?

The issues around police brutality, systemic racism and unfair power structures did not come about with the deaths occurring in the last few weeks or even years. As Andrew Cuomo, Governor of NY, recently highlighted in a press conference, Rodney King happened over 30 years ago. “Rodney King, Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, George Floyd… It’s the same exact situation.”

Until we assess this history, we should not put pen to paper because others will produce the ‘receipts’ and call us out for superficial bandwagon responses. Ultimately, companies then end in a worse place than where they started.

2. Is there room to do more?

Many brands, some under direct pressure, are now highlighting financial commitments to social justice organizations, which are welcome. Grassroots organizations very much need support.

Nevertheless, what’s needed even more is for those who have seats at the table and the ears of policy-makers, to prominently champion equal rights and change. Are our clients using their platforms to join in on hashtags, or are they educating and articulating what changes they expect to see? While I am not an advocate of corporations turning themselves into NGOs, writing a check is not the end of the road. It is merely a step in the journey for those genuinely committed to the words they espouse.

3. Do we want to do this work?

This point will be controversial. The economy has been in freefall and many companies and freelancers are struggling. However, we must ask ourselves if we want to be associated with painting a good face on brands that are disingenuous about their support of what amounts to life or death issues for many in society?

I think not.

Brands need to be forced by their stakeholders to make lasting decisions or face up to their scrutiny. And we as communicators and advertisers need to think critically about whether we can survive inspection under the same microscope.

Put simply, being a decent human being does not get checked at the door when you step into the office. How brands and their leaders conduct themselves says more than the best strategic communications professional can ever articulate.

We cannot close the door on injustice and leave the windows open to inequality. Be firm, be unequivocal and, most of all, be honest.

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