When a company is established, it takes on a persona of its own in the view of the public. Every choice of wording, every commercial, every social media post is carefully curated to convey a message. Essentially, people will judge the service or product being offered based on how the company conducts itself.
It is notable “That research suggests that half of all consumers worldwide are “belief-driven buyers” who shop with a conscience. About 65 percent of that group won’t buy a brand when it stays silent on an issue the consumer feels the brand has an obligation to address,”according to CNN. Now over the years, many companies have delivered their own political stances on hot button issues. Those, however, resulted in a mix of success and public backlash.
Back in 2017, as the Black Lives Matter received more attention, Pepsi decided to show its support for the cause. In a now infamous commercial, individuals from different races, religions, and ethnicities were shown looking on as Kendall Jenner diffused tension between protesters and officers by giving an officer a can of Pepsi. The crowds of people then erupt into celebration and there seems to only be peace and joy. This commercial had to be taken down one day after it was released. The public was furious that the seriousness of ongoing protests at the time was used to sell a can of a soda. Kendall Jenner’s role of giving the soda resulted in celebration, but when Iesha Evans approached heavily armed police alone in July 2016 during protests, she was arrested. The inconsideration of the commercial and tone deaf approach of handling racism from the commercial was amplified through Bernice King’s, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr, words, “If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi”.
Now in 2020, Pepsi has remained silent on the ongoing protests and have not released anything acknowledging them.
Currently, many companies have come out in support for the cause and have made donations. For instance, Apple took the unexpected action of having only a single stream of “Fuck tha police” by NWA play on its radio stations. Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple did not get involved in political matters. When CEO Tim Cook over, however, Apple began to show support for President Donald Trump, even as his highly controversial dealings with immigrants, racist comments, and other issues were widely criticized. Now, Apple appears to stand with the ongoing protests, but many view it as a marketing scheme and not one built on actual merit and belief in the cause.
Adversely, Nike released an ad campaign saying “Don’t do it”, in regards to police brutality. It also pledged to donate $40 million dollars over the span of the next four years to support the black community. These two actions have been praised by the public and actually shows a positive growth in Nike’s political stances. Over the years, Nike has had its products designed in sweatshops in order to keep costs low. They, however, have been shifting away from doing so. Firstly, they announced this past year that they would not use the persecuted and tortured Uighur Muslims to make their products. Secondly, in 2018, they managed to change their brand image by launching “ an advertising campaign featuring NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had divided US public opinion by kneeling during the national anthem to protest against police violence. When the ads were launched, with #NikeBoycott trending on Twitter and some people threatening to burn their shoes, the sportswear company’s shares fell 3 per cent. But Nike’s sales increased after the campaign and its stock has since risen 30 per cent,” said Financial Times. Nike demonstrated the proper approach to dealing with ongoing political matters by pursuing a cause they believed in, rather than jumping on a bandwagon like Apple.
Another example of proper support was Lego’s contribution to the movement.The toy company posted on its social media platforms that it will “donate $4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality.”Additionally, they have stopped advertising certain products “that include representation of police officers, firefighters, criminals, emergency vehicles, and buildings,” according to The Toy Book. This is in reference to their collections of police officers, squad cars, police stations, a Police Highway Patrol set, and other law and order related toys. Along with those toys, it will also stop advertising the White House toy sets. In this case, the company is not just giving a donation as a means of hopping on a trend, but shows real commitment by taking the action to consider how its products negate the idea of the movement and then correcting that.
The best example of taking political action, however, can be found through ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s social justice. The company has a long history of activism. For example, in 2016, “Renowned ice cream duo arrested along with 300 others for taking part in Democracy Spring demonstrations against the influence of money in politics,” reported The Guardian. Now in 2020, the company published a terse and direct statement on its website saying, “What happened to George Floyd was not the result of a bad apple; it was the predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that has treated Black bodies as the enemy from the beginning.” They go on to succinctly lay out four actions to take, demonstrating their support of George Floyd’s family and calling for specific changes to be taken by President Trump, Congress and the Department of Justice.
In order for businesses to be effective in social causes, they must follow Ben & Jerry’s lead. Instead of pandering to the masses and only getting involved an issue for the sake of profit, businesses need to strive themselves to bring change as well. It is fine to post online about injustice, but one step further needs to be taken. A business must use all their resources, their voice and their actions to demonstrate that they are invested in the betterment of society and the future, and not just in their own success and wealth.
