When Brands Should Shut Up; The Richards Group’s DEI Future: Thursday’s First Things First

Welcome to First Things First, Adweek’s daily resource for marketers. We’ll be publishing the content to First Things First on Adweek.com each morning (like this post), but if you prefer that it come straight to your inbox, you can sign up for the email here. Brands: This Is Not a Marketing Moment Wednesday’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building threw the country into chaos. During the crisis, most brands had the presence of mind to halt their social media activity, but others weren’t so wise. In this Voice piece, Sunwink’s head of social Jayde I. Powell explores the importance of reading the room and responding appropriately—and points out several brands and accounts that missed the mark, to the ire of their social followers. Brand choices in hard times: “If you’re unsure how to show up, just be quiet.” The fallout from Wednesday’s riot at the Capitol continues: Shopify permanently banned two online storefronts selling official Trump merchandise. Trump merch—though probably unofficial—is still widely available on Amazon, Walmart, Ebay and others, and these platforms didn’t respond to Adweek’s requests for comment.Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg banned Donald Trump from Facebook and Instagram for the rest of his term, accusing the president of seeking "to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power." Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch disabled Trump's account Thursday, though he wasn’t fully banned. Plus: TV Newsers who were on the ground during yesterday's Capitol Hill insurrection shared their experiences and what they expect might change moving forward. To Forge Its DEI Future, The Richards Group Partners With Leading Firm 2020 was not a flattering year for The Richards Group, which lost several prominent clients after its founder Stan Richards called a Motel 6 campaign “too Black” and later resigned from the organization. Now the agency is looking to redefine itself and its culture, which includes building and integrating DEI efforts into its organizational strategy. “Nothing is off the table”: Learn how the agency will go about bringing in and fostering diverse talent. Burger King Rolls Out a Refreshingly Familiar New Look Burger King is looking to the past as it heads into the future, unveiling a new brand identity for the first time in 20 years—one with a heavy dose of throwback charm. According to global CMO Fernando Machado, the logo was inspired by the one the brand used from 1969 to 1999, with a few strategic adjustments. The overall identity features vibrant colors and some groovy typography. “Buns don’t shine”: The current logo didn’t optimize well for a digital experience, but this new one is designed to be scalable and flexible. The Covid-19 Vaccine Is Cementing Retail’s Role in US Healthcare As companies rise to address medical needs amid the pandemic, the line between healthcare and retail is blurring. Walmart, CVS Health and Walgreens have started administering Covid-19 vaccines in limited cases and will expand to the general public later. But that’s just the beginning—we may see these retailers providing services like telehealth as well. It’s not just in America, either: Learn about the chain of brewpubs that aspires to transform its UK locations into vaccination centers. More of Today’s News: Nelly Gives Flamin’ Hot Lay’s His Seal of ApprovalWyndham Destinations Bought Travel + Leisure for the Brand, Not the ProductWhat Marketers Should Watch for at the All-Virtual CES 2021Wondery Will Make Amazon an Even More Formidable Force in AdvertisingVerizon Adjusts Adfellows Program to Become a Virtual Experience for Entry-Level MarketersHow the Pandemic Shaped the CES Agenda This Year