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Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard of hundreds of brands, from fast food chains to tech giants, cutting ties with or suspending operations in Russia in response to the war in Ukraine. Corporate action has been swift and the list of brands leaving Russia grows daily.
But when it comes to positive action assisting Ukrainian people and the wave of disaster rearing up, from the enormity of the refugee crisis to the rise in Russian xenophobia across the world, brands and the creative sector could be doing a lot more.
But now is not the time for being showy. It’s not a situation that brands should feel they can capitalize on with empty statements or by putting on a show of support for PR purposes.
Recently, an employee with family in Ukraine and Russia pointed to the hypocrisy of brands relying on additional spend from consumers to donate to the humanitarian effort and encouraging people to “shop for Ukraine.” “I shouldn’t have to shop for a brand to care. It feels shallow,” they said.
Brands (their businesses, their logistics network and their other fundamental assets) are in a position to do real good, not just pay lip service. Along with donating and fundraising, there are many brands and businesses offering their services to help Ukraine, its people and neighboring countries taking in refugees fleeing the invasion.
Brands like Falck, the Danish healthcare and emergency services organization, donated 30 ambulances and staff to Ukraine and its neighboring countries. Or Airbnb, which offered free housing to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and encouraged its network of hosts to provide free or discounted housing to refugees, waiving fees as members of the public started booking accommodation with Ukrainian hosts (with no intention of staying) as a means of getting money directly to Ukrainians.
Similarly, Etsy has waived fees and enabled people to buy digital files from Ukraine-based sellers, so there’s nothing to send but Ukrainian sellers still get a payment. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service is helping Ukrainians stay online when traditional internet services fail.
Of course, this is also an information war, and brands are in the position to give a powerful platform to Ukrainians, as David Beckham has done by handing over his Instagram Stories account to a doctor in Ukraine.
Agencies can make a real difference
Agencies should do what they can to help brands and business partners operating in Ukraine and neighboring countries that are struggling with supply chain issues and supporting their staff.
Brands can often be conceptualized by the marketing world to the point of abstraction—all emotion and hype. But brands are not notional entities, they are real-world organizations made up of people, with structures and support systems that both need support and can be used to support others.
Creative companies are oriented around providing solutions to problems. Agencies shouldn’t be just waiting for the next marketing brief to roll in from clients impacted by the crisis. They should be helping business partners operating in Ukraine and neighboring countries in whatever way they need most to keep going, so they can continue to work with Ukrainian suppliers and continue to pay and support their employees.
There are so many examples to follow. Not just the NGOs, charities, businesses, brands and organizations making a difference, but ordinary people doing what they can to help, including offering up their homes to refugees. And there are spaces where brands can genuinely help mobilize the right kind of support and fill the gaps that governments aren’t, like using their infrastructure to match those refugees to homes willing to open their doors and make it easier for their customers to help.
We’re quick to talk up the good that brands and the creative industries can do in the world. Now is the time to prove it—to step away from the usual, emotional, PR-driven responses and do something meaningful. Let’s keep up the momentum.
