Using Your Platform: A Marketer's Guide to Advocacy and Social Impact

This week, the US and some other countries observe the legacy of one of the world’s greatest civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As I reflect on his legacy this year, I feel drawn to words he spoke at the Youth March for Integrated Schools in 1959.?

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in." Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.*

As a marketer, I’ve experienced first-hand how this concept can come to life in our profession. Marketing platforms can be used for social impact. Traditional and social media impacts our minds.* Film, television, books, podcasts, and social media shape our psychology through the creation of narratives that frame how we see the world.* In the same way, the messages we consume through social media, blogs, email, events, newspapers, television, and even billboards - promote ideas that contribute to our culture. Effective marketing is a reflection of the culture and great marketing can shift culture. So when marketers have the opportunity, I believe we should take Dr. King’s call-to-action to heart, and align brand messages with social justice causes for positive change.?

The Evolution of Marketers as Advocates

Historically, marketing focused on branding and product promotion was driven by competition in the marketplace. But after philanthropy emerged as a business practice, ie. corporate social responsibility (CSR), marketing with a twist of social justice was created.?

In 1953, Howard R. Bowen, published Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, which is considered the foundation for the study of corporate social responsibility (CSR). He claimed that philanthropy should be a normal business practice. “The obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action? that are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society.”*

Advocacy as a business best practice eventually made its way to marketing. American Express first coined the term cause-related marketing (CRM) in 1983. They were running a campaign to restore the Statue of Liberty. To raise money, Amex donated one cent to the restoration per Amex card purchase. They ended up raising over $1.7 million and American Express card use rose 27%.* ?

The Positive Impact on Society

Fast forward to today and several companies not only align their overall brand with social causes, they also align their marketing. This type of marketing has many names, including cause-related, social impact, philanthropic, mission-driven, CSR, or ethical marketing. No matter the name, a good social impact marketing campaign starts with consistency, spreads advocacy through it's brands messages, and stays current. The company itself needs to have a proven record of supporting the cause it’s championing in marketing, incorporate the cause in everything from product to campaign assets, and be a part of timely conversations about the topic. All of these elements will demonstrate a genuine commitment to social justice causes.?

As marketers, we have?the power to contribute to societal progress through the influence of public opinion. We’ve all been a part of water cooler conversations about commercials that made us laugh or cry - and had an impact on us in some way. When done right, brands can play a role in creating real-world impact, even if just sparking important conversations. Here are some examples of campaigns that had real-world impact:?

• Example 1: P&G's "The Talk": Advocacy Focus: Racial equality and conversations about racism. Impact: Procter & Gamble's "The Talk" campaign addressed racial bias by portraying conversations that Black parents have with their children about systemic racism. By confronting uncomfortable truths, the campaign contributed to raising awareness and fostering dialogue around racial equality.

• Example 2: #LikeAGirl Campaign by Always: Advocacy Focus: Gender equality and challenging stereotypes. Impact: Always launched the #LikeAGirl campaign, challenging the negative connotations associated with the phrase. The campaign aimed to empower girls and redefine societal perceptions of what it means to do things "like a girl." It garnered widespread attention, sparking conversations about gender stereotypes and encouraging a more positive narrative.

My Personal Experience?

Another example is the 2020 #BuyBlack Campaign by Facebook. Advocacy focus: conscious consumerism and racial equity.?

In 2020, my friend and teammate Remi Ray and I pitched an idea to support Black-owned businesses, that were closing at 2x the rate of other businesses during the pandemic. The idea turned into a marketing campaign that included an award-winning live shopping show that reached over 20 million people, a celebrity-endorsed gift guide, a virtual conference for Black small businesses, an HBCU tour, a pop-up shop in LA, and expansion to two international regions: Brazil and Australia. Not only did it spread awareness about the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses, and garner thousands of press mentions, but it increased sales for some of the businesses involved in the campaign.

Navigating Challenges and Controversies

Consumers expect and in some cases demand that brands they support have a social conscience. This is a risk because all consumers know brands are trying to sell a product or service at the end of the day. It’s a fine line to walk. Take the Israel-Hamas war as a recent example. Zara pulled a campaign that “provoked a backlash from people decrying what they said was a resemblance to scenes of death and destruction in Gaza.”* . While Zara denies the campaign was related to the conflict, this demonstrates that marketers have an impact far beyond just promoting products or services.

There are also examples of? how social impact marketing can go wrong. Pepsi faced backlash after trivializing civil rights in their ad with Kendall Jenner.* Budweiser’s 2017 Superbowl ad that highlighted immigration was called out for historical inaccuracy.* One of the most illuminating examples of inconsistency was demonstrated in Audi’s Superbowl ad about equal pay, which not only rubbed people the wrong way but it “drew attention to Audi’s own record on gender equality, which is mixed at best.”* ?

Before even engaging in social impact marketing, marketers should work with their communications teams on strategies for navigating potential backlash. I recommend following and listening to Lemme Fix It! Podcast by Francesca Ramsey and De'Lon Grant for a crash course in authentic apologies and some of the most modern comms guidance I’ve seen.?

Building a Framework for Advocacy

Here’s a ten-step starting framework for how you can implement social impact marketing at your company:

Stage 1: Foundation and Alignment

1. Identify Relevant Social Justice Issues: Research social justice causes aligned with your brand's values and brainstorm creative marketing ideas. You can start with a calendar of cultural moments.?

2. Stakeholder Engagement: Engage internal and external stakeholders actively in advocacy initiatives.

3. Unified Vision: Formulate a unified vision resonating with stakeholders' values.

Stage 2: Empower and Educate

4. Employee Communication: Establish open channels for employee feedback on social justice matters. Select passionate leaders to serve as executive sponsors.?

5. Consumer Engagement: Create interactive platforms for dialogue and feedback with consumers from the groups you’re planning to support.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaboration within the organization, being sure to involve marketing, communications, employee resource groups, and human resources at a minimum.?

7. Ongoing Education and Adaptive Communication: Develop ongoing education programs and resources on social justice issues. Implement flexible communication strategies to address evolving challenges.

Stage 3: Implementation and Iteration

8. Set Measurable KPIs: Identify measurable KPIs aligned with the goals of social justice campaigns.

9. Execute and Iterate Marketing Campaigns: Develop, execute, and iterate marketing campaigns based on insights and feedback in the channels you set up in stage 2.?

10. Long-Term Commitment: Emphasize the importance of a sustained commitment to social justice causes by making a public commitment to support for several years (I recommend a minimum of five).?

Case Studies: Successful Advocacy Campaigns

When executed correctly, social impact marketing can be a huge benefit to your brand. Here are a couple of examples of campaigns where marketers successfully advocated for equal rights.

• Ben & Jerry's: Advocacy Focus: Social justice, climate change, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Initiatives: Ben & Jerry's has a long history of advocating for various social and environmental issues. The company uses its ice cream flavors and packaging to raise awareness about specific causes and engages in activism on issues like racial justice and climate change. Read more from their CEO here .?

• Levi's: Advocacy Focus: LGBTQ+ rights and gun control.

Initiatives: Levi's has taken a stand on social issues, notably supporting LGBTQ+ rights through its "Proudly Progressive" campaign. The brand has also been involved in campaigns advocating for gun control measures. Read more from their former CMO here .?

Here’s what we can learn from Ben & Jerry's and Levi's:

1. Authenticity and Consistency Matter:

Both Ben & Jerry's and Levi's have demonstrated a commitment to their chosen advocacy causes over the long term. Advocacy efforts should align genuinely with the brand's values and be sustained to make a lasting impact.

2. Utilizing Brand Assets for Advocacy:

Ben & Jerry's and Levi's effectively leverage their brand assets, such as product packaging and marketing campaigns, to raise awareness about specific social issues. Marketers can learn the importance of utilizing their existing brand elements creatively for advocacy. This includes incorporating advocacy messages into product design, using marketing campaigns as a platform for social justice discussions, and integrating advocacy seamlessly into the brand narrative.

3. Engaging in Timely and Relevant Conversations:

Both brands engage in timely and relevant conversations on societal issues. Ben & Jerry's addresses racial justice and climate change, while Levi's focuses on LGBTQ+ rights and gun control. Marketers can learn that staying informed about current events and societal shifts allows for the creation of campaigns that resonate with the audience. By aligning advocacy efforts with ongoing conversations, brands can position themselves as relevant, socially conscious, and in touch with the concerns of their target demographic.

This week as we remember MLK’s legacy, I encourage all marketers to take heed of his call to “make a career of humanity” regardless of where you work. Marketers have the powerful potential to drive conversations forward and shape public opinion. Your most successful campaigns will be the ones that are most relevant to your audience - the ones that reflect the time and culture of our lived experience and we can’t ignore the many social justice issues surrounding us today. Advocate for your work to push culture forward. Don’t be afraid to pitch a potentially risky idea because it may not only have positive impacts on you and your career but also on our society as a whole. Use any influence and platform you have to make positive change.?

…

I’m Rachael Hawk, a social impact marketer specializing in reaching diverse and historically marginalized communities. I write and speak about DEI and career development. I have 10+ years of experience marketing in news & and tech. Follow me for more content like this!?

*This article was written with the assistance of AI!?