How to Make Brand Activism Work
The good and bad of brand activism and ways to make it more effective
In late May 2020, people across America poured into the streets to protest the death of George Floyd and to rally behind social equality and justice. In the midst of this highly charged situation, Nike spoke up. In a video named “For Once, Don’t Do It”, released on May 29, 2020, Nike spoke against racism, against sitting back and doing nothing, and called for everyone to be part of the change.
Nike was not alone. Over the next few days, a long list of brands including Netflix, Visa, Delta Air Lines and Toms would join in and speak against social injustice and racism.
A few weeks later, when ADL, Color of Change and several other non-profit organizations launched the #StopHateforProfit campaign against Facebook, over 240 brands responded to the call and boycotted advertising on the social media platform.
