How should brands tackle social injustice issues in the wake of global unrest…

Authenticity in marketing has always been about best practice.

Brands are facing increasing pressure to publicly address discrimination and show signs of solidarity with the global protests against racial injustice.

However, the way in which brands address social issues in today’s digital society is under massive scrutiny. The NFL have produced conflicting social stances leading to questions being raised. The football league punished and condemned American football players for kneeling during the national anthem. The most famous of the lead protesters being Colin Kaepernick, who now stands as a civil rights activist that fights against social injustice in any form. Over the past few months, the NFL has attempted to regain some favour by addressing racial injustice in America and police violence to a somewhat negative response due to their inconsistent messaging.

So, the questions remains… how do brands effectively market themselves in a time of such uncertain political, economic and social era?

•  Be bold

• Be knowledgeable 

• Be unique

One of Uber’s most recent campaigns to address racial injustice held no bars: ‘If you tolerate racism, delete Uber’. The campaign messaging was promoted across social media channels, in app information and emails. Check out the campaign here - https://www.uber.com/us/en/u/right-to-move/

Consumers expect more from brands today.

Brands need to be vocal.

Brand activism is here to stay and is undoubtedly one of the most important marketing tactics of the century.