How Should Brands Respond to Systemic Racism? Insight from an Edelman Trust Barometer Flash Poll
Today Edelman released the results of an Edelman Trust Barometer flash poll surveying a pool of 2,000 diverse Americans on brands’ roles in addressing racial injustice. See Richard Edelman’s A Universal Demand for Change for a summary, fact sheet and the report.
The release of the report results was accompanied by a panel discussion moderated by Trisch Smith, Edelman’s Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Panelists included:
From Edelman - Richard Edelman, CEO; Russell Dubner, U.S. President & CEO; Lisa Ross, U.S. COO and Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer
Esi Eggleston Bracey, EVP & COO North America Beauty and Personal Care, Unilever
Frank Cooper, Global Chief Marketing Officer, BlackRock.
As Edelman tipped off in their title, the data is clear. The majority of Americans polled are very or extremely concerned about racism in America and believe that brands must take a stand. While the focus of the report and panel discussion is on the importance of brand (versus corporate) response, I came away with relevant key takeaways for my clients who lead with their corporate brand as well. They follow:
Silence is not an option, but…
Your actions MUST be true to your values.
There needs to be a connection point between what your company does and is authentically about and this moment – otherwise you’ll never get to the core of “what can we do.”
Understand the spirit of your purpose and reimagine where it can go from here.
Example from Frank Cooper: Helping black communities create wealth is a way BlackRock’s work intersects with combating racial injustice.
We have more permission than we’ve ever had to be clear (and vulnerable) about where we are.
No company is perfect, AND there’s less individual risk to each as many companies examine where they truly stand at this moment in time.
Be authentic and transparent. Acknowledge shortcomings internally, then be vulnerable externally.
CEO voice is important, but it’s not enough. Managers need to be open and encourage openness and authenticity in their teams. We all need to give each other grace.
Do not expect thank yous for doing the right thing. Do it because you think it’s the right thing.
Get your own house in order.
This isn’t a box we can check or a single check we can write. It’s a process that moves from the inside out.
First stage: Consciousness, being empathetic, building understanding. Listening and humble questioning.
Second stage: Commitment – Each BU, function, company needs to define what ‘getting your house in order means.’ It will look different across groups. Each will need to have the conversations “what does success look like?” and create a plan.
Third stage: Be courageous. Some people aren’t going to like the actions or stands you take. But if you understand your purpose and how you serve society, you can ground your actions and stands in ways that are authentic to you.
“We cannot fix in a month what has been broken for centuries. But what we see through the data is a universal demand for change. The brands who lean into this moment will see the most gain. ”
