The power and responsibility of being an equitable brand

This week, equity seems to be high on the agenda for many brands and organisations. Our latest blog post looked at how brands were communicating Ramadan (with mixed success) and racism hit the headlines once more, following a problematic and harmful letter written in The Guardian by MP Diane Abbott, in response to an equally problematic and harmful article published in the newspaper. 

We’re not here to talk politics, but this episode has some really strong learnings about the importance of accurate language and knowledge when talking about equity (and given our work in building equitable brands, we have a view!). 

This brilliant article explains why confusing racism and antisemitism is a language issue. And why that language issue often leads to the two being pitted against each other, instead of the ideal outcome of minoritised groups challenging the root causes of injustice in solidarity with one another. 

This nuance was obviously lost in the public outcry around the MP's letter. And for many people, especially on Twitter, it seemed to provide another opportunity to come online and show their racism (under the guise of outrage and horror). 

Unfortunately, some brands also chose to join in. When a leading race equity organisation tweeted their outrage and horror about what had happened, it felt personal. Looking back at the organisation’s tweets to see if other public figures had received the same treatment from this organisation, it became apparent that there was a different energy for Diane Abbott. Yes, the organisation regularly calls out public figures, but this is usually done with context, focusing on their public role and about the office, or their responsibilities, not the person.  

This specific organisation is a respected brand in the field of social justice and equity.  Their voice could have brought much-needed clarity, nuance and perspective. Instead, they simply added to the noise. (We won't name names but you can see our founder’s response on Twitter here.

There is an important learning here for brands, especially those focused on social justice. We often talk about the need for organisations and brands to find their voice. Especially where their voice will carry weight and power. This is essential. But this means that they also need to understand the complexities of language around equity. It's not easy. And organisations should think about the power they hold when targeting and calling out individuals. 

Our advice? Call out behaviour? Yes. Call out public figures using the office they hold? Absolutely? But be specific. Be knowledgeable and informed. Make sure that you understand the power and weight of your organisational voice versus the individual. And make sure that you are not simply jumping on a bandwagon that is fuelling and intensifying online hate.

With the UK’s three million Muslims celebrating Eid last week, a number of brands have put out campaigns that spotlight the Islamic Holy month of Ramadan (30 days from 22 March to 20 April. The ‘Iftar Incoming’ campaign from Mother London for Uber Eats showcases signature Iftar (breaking of the fast at sundown) dishes popular with Muslim communities across the UK such as watermelon, fattoush, sheesh and dates. The authenticity and simplicity of this OOH billboard campaign offers meaningful insights without clichés.

It’s great that brands are now spotlighting British Muslim culture year-on-year, but representation alone is not enough. Our latest blog post, which came out earlier this month, takes a deeper look at the ways that brands are simply ticking a "diversity box"  rather than being truly equitable. We spotlighted three main ways that this happens. These are:

1. Optical Representation
2. Cultural Dissonance
3. Paternalism 

In the blog, we explain all of these terms and give practical examples of how brands can avoid commercially-driven and tokenistic diversity efforts. Read the blog post in full to see how you can build equity into the heart of your brand.

Thanks for reading, have a great day!

Team Brand By Me

Last month, we celebrated our 7th birthday and made an explainer video to let everyone know how we help brands embed true equity into all their campaigns and communication.

Watch our video to learn more and do get in touch if you’d like to find out more.