When to be Proud: the not-so-fine-line between authentic and disingenuous branding

June is Pride Month, a time when some brands choose to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community through various marketing campaigns and initiatives. Many argue there is a fine line between authentic support and commercial activism—the recent backlash against some brands has highlighted the importance of navigating this line carefully. But the truth is far more simple and fundamental. It is not about finding a pseudo-scientifically compiled blend of elements to try and please as many people as possible while displeasing as few as possible.

It's all about making a transparent choice.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

What is Pride Month?

Pride Month is an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, its achievements, and its progress in the fight for equality. June commemorates the Stonewall riots of 1969, which marked a turning point in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Since then, Pride Month has evolved into a time of visibility and joy, with parades, festivals, and events held all over the world. It's also a time for communities, organisations, and of course brands to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community… but how should they do so?

The importance of brand authenticity when it comes to Pride (or anything that relates to the wider Community)

Brands have a responsibility to ensure that Pride Month campaigns are authentic and inclusive. What does that mean? Given how diverse the LGBTQ+ is, the varied and unique experiences its members have, one must approach a “Pride campaign” with sensitivity and care. Brands that do not take the time to understand the community's perspectives, or worse, exploit them for profit, risk alienating the very people they claim to support, as has happened in recent times.

The mistakes brands make

In 2021, several brands faced backlash for their Pride Month campaigns, which were deemed performative and exploitative. One notable example was Skittles, which released a limited-edition pack of white candies with the tagline "only one rainbow matters during Pride", pledging to donate $1 to LGBTQ+ charities for every pack sold. The campaign was widely criticized for reducing Pride Month to a marketing opportunity—and a flat one at that as the brand's donation was capped at $100,000.

Another orally ingested product, Bud Light, entered into a partnership with transgender influencer #DylanMulvaney hoping to gain favour with the community and position itself as a modern, inclusive brand. But several weeks of consumer boycotts saw as much as 25% drops in weekly sales and prompted management to suspend the marketers responsible for the collaboration to placate nay-sayers. This, in turned, showed that Bud Light was prioritising beer-money instead of inclusivity, which in turn angered the very community members it had claimed to want to bring together, leading to further sales declines.

So how do brands miss the line?

?Like I wrote at the very beginning, the answer is simple. By deciding that there is a line in the first place, you virtually guarantee that you will cross it in some way or another, probably angering both sides of it, eventually.

The truth is this: either you are a brand that believes in supporting all human communities, or you’re not. It cannot be about which month in the advertising calendar you happen to be in, what hashtag happens to be trending, which piece of content is “safe enough” to be pushed out into the world without tanking your share-price. It is about believing that your product, service, and organisation behind it is there to improve the communities you interact with. If the ultimate KPI which guides your decisions is profit, then stay away from anything which might spook investors at the next quarterly earnings report. Be blind, deaf, and dumb and go about the art of doing business pretending that no communities exist because then you can never be accused of preferring or ignoring any of them.

This is a monochromatic view of the world—no shades of colour, no shades of grey either. But if your brand is not here to help people in whatever way it has chosen to do so, then what is the point?

Splashes of colour in a sea of colour

Several brands have created successful Pride Month campaigns that are authentic and inclusive. One notable example is Ben & Jerry's, which has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community for years. In 2021, the brand launched the "Justice ReMix'd" flavor, which highlighted the need for criminal justice reform and raised money for organizations that work towards this goal. The campaign was inclusive and intersectional, recognizing the intersections between the LGBTQ+ community and people of color.

Another successful campaign was launched by Absolut Vodka, which created a limited-edition bottle that celebrated the diversity of identities within the LGBTQ+ community—a community it has been supporting for the better part of 40 years.

Even Coors Lite (which has benefited by a boost of sales as Bud Lite nay-sayers flock to it as the “non-LGBTQ+” alternative) has been supporting this community since the late 1970s.

7 Guidelines for creating authentic and inclusive Stories for Pride--or any other cause

1. Listen to the community: Take the time to understand the community's experiences and perspectives before launching a campaign.

2. Be inclusive and intersectional: Recognize that your community intersects with other marginalized groups, such as people of colour or those with disabilities.

3. Collaborate with organizations that represent your community: Ensure that your campaign is authentic and has a positive impact.

4. Avoid stereotypes: Do not rely on stereotypes or tokenism to represent the community. Instead, showcase the diversity of experiences and identities within the community.

5. Be transparent: What are your intentions behind your campaign? Share your KPIs (e.g. donation amounts) as well as other initiatives you are taking to support the community that go beyond this limited edition beer can, skittles packet, or shoe box.

6. Be consistent: if you believe in what you’re doing, avoid knee-jerk reactions and ride out any short-term rebuttal waves.

7. (and most importantly) Be true to the community by being true to yourself: Start by recognizing and being inclusive of those within your organisation, the ones who will not only build your brand from the inside but connect with their respective communities on the outside and be the best ambassadors for and defenders of your brand.

A Call to Action for Brands

Pride Month is an opportunity for brands to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community--if they really mean it. But higher up on the corporate soul-searching ladder, it is a chance for brands to decide if they want to be part of the human community, full stop.

If so, it no longer becomes a matter of great brand-storytelling built around sensitivity and care, understanding community’s experiences or perspectives. It becomes a fundamental business and operational choice to permanently listen, support, include, and collaborate with countless LGBTQ+ profiles and indeed all other communities in a transparent and helpful way.

By following these storytelling guidelines, brands can create campaigns that align with their values and have a positive impact on all communities—no matter their preference.

P.S. For a holistic understanding of how to build your business or brand and connect with the communities you wish to serve, be sure to keep reading Insights Caffeine. The biggest story yet is coming your way soon (Hint: it’s over 100 pages long and comes with an awesome cover!)