Bacardi’s efforts for Ukraine relief
War does not determine who is right- only who is left. — Bertrand Russell
In a world where homes can be shattered, people can vanish, and minds can be influenced, all in a matter of seconds, it is scary to live. According to an article by New York Times, of the past 3419 years, humans have been at complete peace for only 268 of them. The 21st century has not seen a single year with no war. There has not been a single decade, even half where there was no war since 1534; which brings up the question- “what good comes out of it?”, the answer- “absolutely nothing”. Nothing good can ever come out of lives being taken, ever.
Bertrand Russell, the Nobel laureate also said “Love is wise, Hatred is foolish”. It is imperative that we love in a world of hate right now. The Ukraine-Russia war has affected 18 million people . They have either been dislocated, injured or killed.
Bacardi, one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world with over 200 brands and labels as a part of its portfolio is taking action. The company declared on March 10th, 2022 on its website that they have committed 1 million dollars towards relief for Ukraine. Here’s their official statement-
At Bacardi Limited, our priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our people, especially those directly affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. We are supporting our people in Ukraine with resources and services necessary during this time of great need.
We have committed USD 1 million to Red Cross and Mercy Corps to support humanitarian efforts on the ground. Our donation will enable distribution of food, medicine, and other critical care items, along with first aid training, work to reunite separated families, emergency cash and other resources and networks to help those in need.
In addition, we paused exports to Russia and froze advertising investments in the market.
The most impressive part about their statement is the specificity of it all. They have mentioned exactly who they have forwarded the funds to and how exactly it is going to help people.
Bacardi joined brands such as Diageo, Brown-Forman, Pernod Ricard, and Edrington in boycotting the Russian market.
Many US states have also ordered liquor stores to stop selling Russian spirits.
Bacardi-owned Irish whiskey company Teeling released and quickly sold out their limited edition “‘United We Stand’ Charity Bottling”, with proceeds supporting Ukraine.
Brands such as Unilever and P&G have suspended activities from Ukraine and Russia, putting their employee's safety first. Unilever will be providing basic food and hygienic necessities to the Russian people under close review and has donated towards the relief of Ukranian people whereas P&G has been offering logistical, evacuation assistance, and food to help the people in Ukraine.
Every brand has a different way of responding to the situation. Though Russia is attacking Ukraine, Russians are not. Brand need to think of the people , but often that also means the country. If they pay the employees, or continue their operations for the people of the country, it would also mean that the country is generating revenue which they then use towards further resources for the war.
Brands are trying to do whatever they can to weaken the Russian resources and power while also keeping in mind the people of the country. It is a very sensitive matter, and the way brands respond to this situation would be the way they write their future. Chinese brands such as Lenovo, Alibaba, Xiaomi, Huawei, Tencent, Japanese brands such Asus, Acer, American brands such as Korn Ferry, SC Johnson along with other international brands are defying demands for exit or reduction of activities.
Taking the next steps is going to be hard for every brand. According to this report by Statista, Gen Z are cutting close to Millenials in terms of population. Yale Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who is monitoring the companies in Russia said “Gen Z are very careful about where they shop, whom they buy from and where they invest. Some activists are already organizing boycotts of Koch and SC Johnson products on social media.”
