Gen z speaks up with their wallet:
Should brands and corporations be held accountable for social and political advocacy?
On May 29th, President Trump tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” and Twitter promptly flagged it down because it “glorified violence”. On the other hand, Mark Zuckerberg refused to moderate hate speech promoted by Trump on the Facebook platform. Dozens of employees showed their disapproval by staging a virtual walkout, threatened to resign, circulated petitions, and some even spoke up in public. None of this generated much of a storm until advertisers, prompted by a civil rights coalition, launched the #StopHateforProfit campaign and started pulling out from Facebook. As they say, money talks. According to reports, apparently Genz was the most engaged in the boycotts. And Zuckerberg is being forced to give in and on June 30th reported that it had banned hundreds of accounts, many associated with the Boogaloo movement, members of which had shown up with arms at protests for racial justice.
Boycotting brands or influencing corporations for social or political advocacy is not a new practice. In 2017, the GrabYourWallet campaign successfully prompted multiple retail stores like Nordstorm, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Neiman Marcus to drop the Ivanka Trump merchandise from their shelves. The fitness company SoulCycle was boycotted when it was revealed that its owners were hosting a fundraiser for the President. Recently, Goya food products have also been boycotted when its CEO praised Trump.
Gen z demands corporate responsibility
Gen Z is also radical in its belief in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and having their voices heard. (See article on Gen z is more likely to hold brands responsible for supporting issues like Black Lives Matter) And, increasingly corporations have begun to realize the economic power wielded by our generation. Currently, we are the most diverse generation at 66 million strong and control over $143 billion in spending power, which is 40% of all consumers. With the upcoming November Presidential elections, I think it is time for Gen z to step up and prove its mettle.
While life has not been smooth for many of us due to the tremendous upheavals of the past couple of decades, it has made us more active in demanding accountability, rather than charity. As the New York Times columnist says, “Doing good is no longer a matter of writing a few checks at the end of the year, as it was for my generation; for many young people, it’s an ethos that governs where they work, shop and invests.”
While we may not all align to the same political beliefs, we know when we are being manipulated or overlooked and often stand united on issues that will impact us in the future like environmental pollution, minimum labor standards, mistreatment of animals, misinformation campaigns, illegitimate political regimes, and so on.
Sincerity is key for ethical and social advocacy
While a lot of market research has been conducted by corporations to identify what makes Gen z love a brand, insincerity is a definite turnoff. We think of issues on a global scale rather than at a parochial level. If a brand aligns itself to a specific cause and credibly sticks with it, they are more likely to receive support from us.
Companies like Nike have succeeded in winning our support by taking bold stances on social issues and hiring brand ambassadors like NFL star, Colin Kaepernick, who had refused to stand for the national anthem to protest police brutality against Black people. By embracing Kapernick in 2017, Nike had to risk angering the National Football League, but the risk paid dividends through its soaring sales. The company has also pledged $40 million to support the Black community in the United States.
How can Gen z hold brands accountable?
After the George Floyd protests, many brands have spoken up and issued statements in favor of the BLM movement. Though brand activism may be in vogue, most companies are only paying lip service to the cause instead of engaging with the fundamental issues of diversity, inclusion, and racial justice within their ranks. It is important for Gen z to recognize where their $$$ are going and what concrete steps are brands taking to make a real difference.
On June 3, 2020, the founder of Uoma, a beauty products company, Sharon Chuter, launched a campaign Pull Up or Shut Up that challenges beauty brands to disclose the Black people working for them at an Executive level and requested people not to buy from companies that did not disclose such information. The hashtag #PullUpOrShutUp has been endorsed by social influencers like Youtuber Jackie Aina. To conclude, transparency is key to holding brands accountable.
Our generation not only buys a product but imbibes the identity and persona associated with the brand. And, though taking an ethical stance may have an associated cost for companies, it may have its rewards as well. Keeping quiet is no longer an option. Economic boycotts may be one of the options to introduce social change and racial justice. We will do well to use all the tools available at our disposal.
To know more about the history of boycotts, how to organize them, examples of significant boycott victories, see Co-op America’s Boycott Organizer’s Guide.
