Juneteenth is on Saturday, and I predict that we’ll see the usual statements and social media posts from brands that crop up during holidays and dates associated with social justice. In the past year, it’s become increasingly clear that consumers expect corporate America to take a stand on social and political topics, but the strategy playbook is far from set in stone. In some instances, consumers say they want all companies to weigh in regardless — but in others, the consensus is that some brands are better off not getting involved. So, let’s take a look at Morning Consult polling from the past year to get an idea of how marketers should approach Juneteenth.
When I look at our recent polling on politics and social justice in relation to brands, I see it falling into two different categories: specific moments and more general topics. I’ll start with specific moments, and one in particular: the police killing of George Floyd last year. When asked how they think brands should engage with the Black Lives Matter movement in the immediate aftermath of Floyd’s death, the consensus was clear: The worst thing a brand could do at the time was stay silent about it.
Flash-forward to this past April, when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of Floyd’s murder. Again, Morning Consult asked consumers to reflect on the verdict and consider different statements brands might make about Black Lives Matter. This time, the results were more divided, but the polling did suggest that more consumers than not would look more favorably upon brands that released statements in support of BLM at the time (unsurprisingly, those results varied among demographics, specifically political party affiliation).
The takeaway: When social justice topics come up in the news in a major way, consumers expect brands to weigh in quickly and formally. The data also suggests these are not the times for humor, based on reactions to some brands’ posts about the Capitol riots earlier this year.
But what about annual events, such as Pride Month and Juneteenth, and the general political division persisting in the country? In these instances, consumers want brands to do more than engage through social media posts, no matter how respectful.
More general Morning Consult polling about BLM, conducted slightly further out from Floyd’s death, revealed that consumers expect brands to be able to back up their statements with actions. For instance, 20 percent of Black adults suggested that companies should address racism within their own ranks as opposed to publicly on social media. And a January survey about corporate comments on the general political division in the country indicates that the public thinks some companies are better suited to weigh in than others.
If you recall last week’s Sunday brief, marketing professionals (and, in a poll from earlier last week, consumers) expressed similar sentiments about Pride Month, saying that not every brand should publicly celebrate if they’re not prepared to back up their posts and rainbow products with actions such as donations to LGBTQ+ organizations.
The verdict on how brands should approach Juneteenth: Think before you post. Can your company confirm that it’s addressing racism and amplifying minority voices internally? Has it made political donations that could be considered counterproductive to anti-racism efforts? These are the questions marketers and social media managers should be asking themselves before hitting post on that Juneteenth statement. You can bet that many consumers will be asking the same questions.