For Creatives, Strategists & Marketers
At SXSW over the weekend, Lush pushed a new range of glittery bath bombs alongside a hard stance on social media.
Digital divestment (diverting funds away from morally ambiguous social platforms) was very much the theme of the cosmetics retailer’s Lush House pop-up at the conference, where panel discussion topics ranged from ‘human rights in the digital age to digital divestment and the future of social media’.
Lush first announced it was shutting down its TikTok and Meta-owned social media accounts in November 2021, following Facebook’s whistleblower saga, citing ethical concerns.
Its boldly named ‘Global Anti-Social Media Policy’ made sense for the brand –which has a reputation of being ethical and cruelty-free to protect. But despite suggestions at the time that the move might spark a trend, the mass exodus of brands from social media never materialised.
Two years on, its SXSW pop-up followed research commissioned by Lush into people’s sentiments around ethics, social media and brands.
In a survey of 8,000 US adults in February, by UK-based survey firm Opinium Research, 73% of respondents said brands should exit ‘unethical’ social platforms, and 24% described brands that decide to eschew a social presence as ‘responsible’.
It’s worth noting that Lush never advertised on TikTok, Facebook (Meta), Instagram, or Snapchat, making it easier for it to leave those platforms.
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Even so, the brand estimated at the time of shutting down its accounts that it could lead to ‘potential damage of £10m in sales’. It appears to have been the right decision, however – Lush recorded a pre-tax profit of £29m ($34.8m) in 2022, up from a £45m ($54m) loss the previous year.
For all of its failings – inadequate regulation and moderation, a lack of transparency around data and algorithms – social media remains a key part of most brands’ marketing efforts.
For Lush, a return to Meta and TikTok would only be possible if the platforms made the changes it requires, Annabelle Baker, Lush global brand director, told Glossy. ‘If a platform was safe, we’d be on it, for sure.’
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash