Brands risk backlash over Black Lives Matter. Should they still speak out?

Press/Media: Expert Comment

Description

“We should still encourage brands to take a social stand, even if it comes across as opportunistic. It still pushes the public debate over the long term,” Abas Mirzaei, a senior lecturer at Macquarie University who has been studying ‘woke’ marketing campaigns for the past two years, told Inside Retail

“Even if Pepsi is opportunistic and Adidas comes under pressure, they trigger the social debate which is really important for any cultural change.” 

Mirzaei acknowledged that for change to occur, however, brands need to do more than just make statements. 

“If we’re still fighting against racism in 10 years’ time, then Nike can’t just change their logo. We’re going to be asking what else have you done? How many black people have you recruited?”

Period12 Jun 2020

Media contributions

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Media contributions

  • TitleBrands risk backlash over Black Lives Matter. Should they still speak out?
    Degree of recognitionInternational
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    Date12/06/20
    DescriptionGlobal brands including L’Oreal and Adidas have recently been accused of racist behaviour, ranging from discriminatory hiring practices, to lack of diversity in marketing campaigns, to unequal treatment of people in their stores.

    The allegations follow a flood of corporate messages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and racial justice amidst global protests sparked by the death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody in the US last month.

    But some marketing experts think brands should still speak out, even if they are not perfect allies yet.

    “We should still encourage brands to take a social stand, even if it comes across as opportunistic. It still pushes the public debate over the long term,” Abas Mirzaei, a senior lecturer at Macquarie University who has been studying ‘woke’ marketing campaigns for the past two years, told Inside Retail.

    “Even if Pepsi is opportunistic and Adidas comes under pressure, they trigger the social debate which is really important for any cultural change.”

    Mirzaei acknowledged that for change to occur, however, brands need to do more than just make statements.

    “If we’re still fighting against racism in 10 years’ time, then Nike can’t just change their logo. We’re going to be asking what else have you done? How many black people have you recruited?”
    Producer/AuthorHeather Mcllvaine
    URLhttps://insideretail.com.au/news/brands-risk-backlash-over-black-lives-matter-should-they-still-speak-out-202006
    PersonsAbas Mirzaei