Pride & Prejudice
Pride month starts tomorrow and as a result there are business leaders spending time today worrying that their company's inclusive messaging will make their brand the next Bud Light or Target. Both are complicated cases (only people on the inside have the full picture) and I respect and applaud Target's need to protect their team members. My personal view is that we should be celebrating pride twelve months a year. The greatest gift we can give anyone is the space to be exactly who they are and then celebrate whatever that looks like. We benefit economically, culturally and spiritually when people participate openly in society as their full selves. However, the political dynamic in the U.S. is insane and infuriating right now so companies have to carefully think through their presence and external actions on social issues. One size does not fit all.
I have been on the leadership team of large public companies and seen how these debates play out in the boardroom. Market dynamics drive fear-based, short term thinking and the only way to get to the right decision is with pragmatic analysis supported by data, brand insights and a deep understanding of your customers.
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Socrates said "To know thy customer/brand is the beginning of wisdom" (ok, he sort of said that but you get the point). The discussion in the board room must revolve around a number of key questions: 1) what is our company's purpose? 2) what do we represent in society? 3) who are our key stakeholders 4) what is the strategy to grow the business? and 5) what do we need to do to recruit and retain the best talent? Once these questions are answered with supporting evidence, the decision should actually be easy. The answers will also help the resulting actions be real and not performative (consumers know the difference!)
Once a clear decision is made, a company has to become thick-skinned and support/celebrate the resulting campaign (or lack thereof if that is the decision). Know thyself and move forward with confidence. There will always be a Kid Rock shooting up some company's product in his backyard because rage is the social currency online. Rage gets you likes and shares. Rage is much easier than stopping to be thoughtful and nuanced. Businesses just need to be able to quickly answer the question, "does it really matter?"
GE alum, Swagelok alum, Content Strategy, Editorial Leadership, Senior Feature/Ghost Writer, PR, Media Relations, Executive & Internal Communication, Functional Design/Build/Reorg, Customer Storytelling, Social Media.
1yThanks for sharing this news, Deirdre. Another compelling post. I think our country is progressing. We see everything that happens down to the most local level. So it is all pronounced and while incidents are challenging and sometimes heinous, I think the majority of Americans are reasonable and open-minded and probably libertarian when it comes down to it. Live and let live. I worry that the way you criticize people in the post leaves little room to raise awareness or educate people that are simply out of touch or indifferent. I also think someone like Kid Rock is as much a communication channel as a celebrity, especially if there is genuine interest in developing a greater understanding in the power of differences in people. Isn't that a goal? Don't give up on people, all people.