Adweek Adweek Logo
Social Marketing Artificial Intelligence Augmented Reality Chat & Messaging Influencers & Creators Metaverse Social Media Week Social Pro Daily Young Influentials
Social Marketing
Social Marketing Artificial Intelligence Augmented Reality Chat & Messaging Influencers & Creators Metaverse Social Media Week Social Pro Daily Young Influentials

Voice

Black Lives Matter Changed the Way Consumers View Brands Forever

The movement demands more corporate activism and follow-through on commitments

Black Lives Matter
Resources like the Black Dollar Index have made it easier to hold companies accountable.Black Lives Matter
Headshot of Virna Sekuj
By Virna Sekuj

 

The mainstreaming of the Black Lives Matter movement was one of the defining events of 2020. Having mobilized citizens all over the world, it sparked a tide of social activism not seen for decades. Now, a little over a year later, many Americans are at a point of reflection.

How much has changed when it comes to our perceptions of racial inequality in this country? Beyond sentiment, has anything changed when it comes to our commitments to action?

These questions hold weight not only for consumers at an individual level but for the institutions, marketers and the larger corporate powers around us that, perhaps for the first time, had to reckon with true accountability on issues of racial justice.

Public sentiment has changed—for some more than others

When it comes to individuals, the BLM movement has significantly increased people’s awareness of racial injustice; in a recent survey, 6 in 10 Americans said racism is a “very” or “extremely” serious problem in the U.S., and 56% said police are more likely to use deadly force against a Black person vs. a white person.

image

Brands Should Boost Social Movements for Black Audiences and Brands

More than just awareness, the movement has encouraged people to take an active stance against anti-Black racism. Research conducted in May revealed that for 30% of American consumers, the BLM movement had made tackling anti-Black racism a more important issue; for certain groups, this was even higher, including millennials (45%), parents with kids under 12 (44%) and frequent news readers (36%).

Americans’ personal sentiment is one thing, but what about their view toward corporate activism?

Brand activism shows some follow-through

A year ago, we saw that Americans were overwhelmingly in favor of companies making significant, resource-intensive commitments in pursuit of a more equitable culture. Reviewing hiring policies, ensuring diversity in leadership and supporting diverse suppliers all came up as the top actions. Showing support via social media, in contrast, was nowhere near as important.

Many companies were coming under fire during the height of the BLM movement for posting black squares and hashtags on social media and then calling it a day. The PR frenzy toward corporate wokeness even introduced a whole new term into our lexicon: “performative allyship.”

A year later, the pendulum seems to be swinging toward true accountability for many high-visibility, influential brands.

UPS, Johnson & Johnson and Bank of America are just a few household names among many that have made substantial, long-term financial and cultural commitments toward reducing racial disparities. Additionally, resources like the Black Dollar Index have made it easier than ever for people to hold companies accountable on the diversity and inclusion front using their buying power.

Positive initiatives like these point to true brand follow-through, but dig a bit further into the issue and you’ll find some muddy waters.

For example, a MarketWatch article from earlier this year revealed the complexities of true accountability when it reported on five of the nation’s biggest banks asking shareholders “to reject racial-equity resolutions after they expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement last year.”

People who have always had stronger, more committed activist tendencies will dig beyond the jazzy headlines to understand true corporate accountability.

Inconsistencies like this add context to some of the differences we see in consumer views, and marketers would be wise to listen, take note and act in ways that support their stakeholders’ beliefs.

Across all consumers, about one-third think brands have followed through “a little” on their pledges of activism, while one-fifth think they’ve followed through “a lot.” Another sizable one-fifth of consumers say they aren’t sure; accountability is, evidently, not always easy to spot.

But there’s an interesting disparity in these findings, and it emerges when comparing perceived brand follow-through among people who say the BLM movement made tackling racism more important to them versus those who said that tackling racism had always been important to them.

Those who’ve been recently inspired to tackle racism have a more favorable view of the corporate response; 36% say that brands have followed through “a lot.” Comparatively, only 17% of their long-term activist counterparts feel this way.

These findings have both positive and negative implications for marketers and brands. In a positive sense, it’s likely that public brand activism may be a factor in raising awareness and inspiration for consumers who had not been as committed to tackling anti-Black racism before, giving brands the opportunity to be agents of change.

In a different sense, it also suggests companies need to be sincere and transparent in their efforts because people who have always had stronger, more committed activist tendencies will dig beyond the jazzy headlines to understand true corporate accountability. And what’s more, the side of deeper, dedicated activism will only grow over time, especially as younger consumers rise to prominence and propel the movement.

Toward a more inclusive culture, BLM and beyond

These themes will be crucial for brands to thrive in the future, far beyond the Black Lives Matter movement. Research indicates that Americans’ demands for brands to be “inclusive” and “respectful” are on the rise—as is their desire for brands to support diversity and inequality in the workplace, and their overall interest in social justice issues. Among younger people, these views are even stronger.

The winds of change are blowing toward a more diverse, inclusive and equitable culture and society. Undoubtedly, the Black Lives Matter movement is a huge catalyst for this change, but it can’t be the only thing working to push both people and institutions forward.

And it doesn’t have to be. Public sentiment and corporate actions are moving in a more progressive direction, and it’s important that we keep that momentum going. As consumers, we have both our voices and our wallets to enable us to do so.

image

Adweek Podcast: Honoring the Women Founders of #BLM

Headshot of Virna Sekuj

Virna Sekuj

Virna Sekuj is GWI’s vice president of trends and research in the U.S.

Recommended articles
Popular Now
  1. Kaitlan Collins Says Goodbye to CNN This Morning, Heads to Primetime
  2. Dallas Political Reporter Julie Fine Leaving KXAS for Bloomberg
  3. Kroger to Add Digital Smart Screens to 500 U.S. Stores
  4. Long Lost Video of Florida Anchor’s On-Air Suicide Posted to YouTube
  5. Google Introduces Chatbot, Other Generative AI Creation Tools for Marketers
Upcoming Webinars
  • Siloed Data Is Killing Your Customer Experience Tuesday, June 6, 2023
  • How The Nature Conservancy Reaches New Diverse Audiences Wednesday, June 7, 2023
  • The Fandom Formula for Brand Loyalty Thursday, June 8, 2023
  • Why SMBs and Emerging Brands Are Succeeding With CTV Tuesday, June 13, 2023
  • 5 Top CDP Use Cases That Drive Revenue and Performance Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Adweek Logo

Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.

About

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Media Kit
  • Editorial Cal
  • Sponsor Content
  • Jobs at Adweek

Subscriptions

  • Subscription Options
  • Digital App
  • FAQs
  • Newsletters
  • Customer Service

Events

  • Awards
  • Adweek Events
  • Webinars
  • On-Demand Webinars
  • Trophies / Awards / Seals
  • On-Demand Event Videos

Publications

  • Adweek Blog Network
  • Adweek Podcast Network
  • RSS
  • Back Issues
  • Reprints / E-Prints
©2023 Adweek - All Rights Reserved.
  • Do not sell my personal information
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
Clickable icon to open social sharing icons
Clickable icon to share the page on Facebook Clickable icon to share the page on Twitter Clickable icon to share the page on LinkedIn Clickable icon to share the page on Facebook Messenger Clickable icon to share via Email Clickable icon to share via Email
Clickable icon to share via Email