What does your brand believe in?

Pre-COVID, every time you bought a pair of TOMS, the company donated another pair to Save the Children. Now, purchase a pair and one-third of the profits go the COVID Global Giving Fund.  

During Pride month, to support the LGBTQ+ community, Skittles committed to donating $1 to GLAAD for every special Pride edition pack of Skittles sold.

As the coronavirus outbreak spreads, DoorDash has stepped up with commission relief and financial assistance options for local restaurants.

And as anti-racism protests around the US—and indeed, the world—ramp up, companies like Ugg, Youth to the People, and Glossier are donating to charities like The Equal Justice Initiative, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the American Civil Liberties Union to support Black Lives Matter and anti-racism efforts.

In other words: right now, brands are speaking out about what they believe in—and putting their money, time, and efforts where their mouths are.

Some have been doing this for years; some are just getting started.

And customers are on board.

In fact, 63% of consumers said they’d rather buy from a brand whose values reflect their own—and that was back in 2018. Since then, public consciousness has spiked. A more recent survey shows that 60% of consumers would “boycott or buy from a brand based on its response to Floyd’s killing.” In that same survey, 63% said they expect brands to back up their words with real action.

And the people leading that charge? They’re high spenders. So even if you’re a conscienceless alien, if you want people to support your brand, it’s time to take a good, hard look at what that brand stands for.

So, what should you do next if you’re ready to take up a cause? Well…

Look in before you speak out

Ready to make a big donation, change internal culture, or just speak out on the things that matter to you? First, it’s time to take stock of how well your brand is doing on the particular issue you’re about to speak on.

And we don’t just mean a cursory glance or a quick “yes, I believe in this.” We mean asking whether your business’s actions align with your beliefs. (Remember: 63% of those surveyed expect to see action, not just words.)

What do I mean by that? Well, if you’re Exxon-Mobile and you want to crow about saving the environment, news flash: nobody believes you.

If you say you support LGBTQ+ rights but don’t allow employees to put partners on their insurance plans, nobody believes you.

If you—like Bon Appetit—say Black Lives Matter and then we find out you’ve not been paying the women of color in your popular video channel, nobody believes you.

If the name of your sports team is literally a racist slur and you tweet in solidarity with anti-racist protests, nobody believes you.

Even if you think Of course we support Great Cause X, today’s customers expect you to dig deeper. Is your business putting its money where its mouth is? What are you doing well? Where can you do better? What are you planning to change? What do you need to own up to?

We’ve all known for approximately forever that talk is cheap. But these days, we’re less likely to give that talk the benefit of the doubt. It’s time to show before we tell.

This is why Ben & Jerry’s BLM statement (which is backed up with years of standing with the Black community and against white supremacy) was met with roaring approval while The San Francisco 49ers (who fired Colin Kaepernick for his peaceful protests) were taken to task for their performative support of BLM.

Figure out your budget

Okay, so you’ve taken stock of your past, present, and hopes for the future when it comes to the cause you’re about to support. Now, it’s time to figure out your budget. How much can you afford to donate—in money, in time, in grants or freebies? Are you doing a lump-sum donation? Something ongoing? Something contingent on how many products you sell (as in the case of TOMS donating a third of their profits)?

Before you start dreaming up campaigns, get clear about what you’re giving to your cause.

Create your campaign

How will you get the word out about where you stand and how you’re putting that stance into action? What creative ways might you be able to increase your donations or raise more awareness for a cause (again, see TOMS as a great example) by encouraging more purchases or engagement with your customers?

And how does this campaign translate into long-term commitment? Because the truth is that it’s no longer good enough to jump on board for Pride month and ignore your queer customers the rest of the year or hop onto BLM during the protests and then go back to doing the same old things in between.

When you’re thinking about a campaign, think about how it will be reflected in your brand’s actions and values from that point forward—even if the campaign itself is short term.

Don’t brag

If there’s one thing we’re all solidly sick of, it is performative brand allyship.

 Brands who come out tooting their own horns during a crisis aren’t looking good.

Brands, on the other hand, who live their values and use their campaigns as a way to uplift the cause, not the brand itself, are on the winning end of history and public opinion here.

The difference is using your brand platform for the cause, not using the cause for your brand platform.

Need help?

If you know you want to step up to the plate and take a stand with a cause you believe in, but this all feels a little overwhelming, that’s what we’re here for. Reach out anytime. We’d love to help your team with everything from strategy to campaign creation to launch.