A discussion on corporate activism
Key takeaways
- Performative activism from companies does more harm than good to the communities they are “trying” to advocate for.
- If brands engage with activism they should focus on proactive versus reactive activism.
- It is beneficial that individuals see their lives and experiences mirrored through influential platforms.
When we think of activists, we often look through history books and point out people who put into effect positive change in society. Social Justice activism has been the driving force of social change in the past century and present. So, when we see brands appealing to social justice movements what exactly does that mean and what impact does it have?
Recently members of the LGBTQ+ community have been voicing their concerns about the performative activism of brands during the month of pride. Pride, a month-long celebration in the month of June for the LGBTQ+ community, aims to celebrate everyone who is part of the community and to remember those who have helped the community as seen in the stonewall riots of 1969. An increasing number of companies have been making attempts to participate in the month of pride by changing their logos into rainbow colors or even producing products that are reminiscent of the celebration.
The reason why members of the community have been expressing their concern is that they feel as though the support that is attempted to be shown to the community is very surface-level and is mostly for a profit of the company’s social appearance rather than a permanent cause.
What does it mean when a brand is signalling support for an issue one day and the second it does not seem relevant the cause is ditched in a corner only to be advocated for again one year later? The damage is clear: rather than expressing continued support for a movement or issue many companies reap the benefits of woke marketing by making profits off of other people’s struggles.
Profitable support does not support, it’s monetary.
Yet, if certain demographics find this form of performative activism unhelpful, why do companies engage in it in the first place? And, are there any upsides that are being left out in this discussion?
This offers an opportunity to show the perspective of a company. It appears that the urge for engaging with social justice activism comes from corporate citizenship model¹. This refers to how the company engages with social responsibility. This model mostly deals with the ethical and legal concerns surrounding both the workers and the consumers of the company. Some people argue that this acts as a reflection of the company’s values. Making these models transparent to all people involved can help invoke positive relationships in the company. One company that is known for this is known for its open reflection on corporate citizenship models is Ben & Jerry’s. In 1988, they were one of the first companies to include a social mission in their three-part mission (Product mission, economic mission, and social mission). The social mission was made in an effort to provide….Ben & Jerry’s continues to show their advocacy and activism to this day. This sort of proactive pursuit towards a social mission that involves linkage to activism is what is known as proactive activism.
In the world of corporate activism, there are two categories of activism that can be denoted: proactive and reactive activism. Proactive activism is when a company makes a continuous effort towards social justice activism and includes it within their company models and not simply for the purpose of marketing. Meanwhile, reactive activism is when companies simply react to a movement because it is getting a lot of online traction, which puts demand on the company to make a statement small or large. However, no active effort is made for the cause long-term.
Different forms of brand activism:
- Business activism
- Political activism
- Social activism
- Legal activism
- Economic activism
- Environmental activism
What comes along with social activism is the notion of intersectional inclusivity. It is important that both workers and consumers feel that their lives are represented through the company’s actions. One way through which this can be done is commercial representation. A recent example of this is during the month of pride Tiffany and Co, a famous jewellery brand, showed several same-sex couples in their advertisement and provided a message on pride. People can seek comfort in this sort of representation. This is particularly significant when it is a large company that is widely known and advertised strongly.
Another interesting fact is that, according to an article by Sustainable Brands, purpose-driven brands have the tendency to lead in their performance as a company. The effort to invoke positive change has shown to give them the opportunity to gain higher market share gains. This is not only beneficial to the company but also continues to enforce positive social benefits to the workers and the consumers.
So how do we know whether the activism is real or fake? And how can we help companies grow in awareness about these issues?
- Look at whether the company is engaging with reactive or proactive activism
- Check if they are a Certified B Corp
- Look at their corporate citizenship models
Overall, it is important to take into consideration those who have voiced their concerns about performative activism. These voices need to be prioritized as they are the ones who are leading a movement and are affected by the choices that companies make about how they choose to represent them. Incorporating proactive activism and social models into a company is not only positively influential but also creates a more human connection between the company and workers/consumers.
¹ Read Christian Sarkar’s and Philip Kotler’s Brand activism from purpose to action for further discussion on the topic of brand activism.
