Your Brand’s Guide to "Cancel Culture"

Here’s one you’ve probably heard; humans use the internet...

And all hell breaks loose.

I can’t tell you how many tantalizing rabbit holes I fell down in researching this subject. This was Pandora’s box filled with human psychology, raging opinions, and the most bizarre accusations (and true stories) I’ve ever encountered. But I didn’t pursue this for my own entertainment-although I have to tell you I was incredibly entertained. No. This was for the greater good. But before I get to that, we have to address two key points.

First, this is what the kids call an “Opinion Piece”. For the sake of the rest of the article, I’m going to reference “Cancel Culture” thusly. Simply put, this is the most modern and commonly used term for the phenomenon. However, this name doesn’t begin to cover the nuance behind the concept, nor is it the only name for it, so I will be using quotation marks as I refer to it.

Second, as I’m sure you know, “Cancel Culture” has been hotly debated (even on LinkedIn) in the last few years. Of the many debates, ranging from what we should call it to whether or not it’s something we can joke about , one of the pinnacle discussions we’ve reached is “Does it even exist ?” I feel before we can go any further I need to establish my stance as your consultant.

I believe "Cancel Culture" exists.

I believe humans, conflict, controversy, scapegoating, and moral debates have always existed and therefore I must admit “Cancel Culture” is a real concept.

The term “Cancel Culture” is simply the rebrand.

It's a fascinating time to be alive; we live during the fastest news cycle in the world, where celebrities, businesses, and consumers all have the same platform to speak, and where for no additional charge other than your email and an identifier you can have front row seats to human behavior 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and especially during the holidays.?

Come one, come all.

Frankly, it’s fun to disassociate long enough to sit and watch. Yet, while everyone likes to think they’re either morally above it or condescendingly over it, the fact of the matter is; every single presence on social media is vulnerable to “Cancel Culture”.

Social media, quite literally, is the Altar of Public Opinion.

This can make the idea of building or bringing a brand online terrifying. My goal is to shine some light on what “Cancel Culture” truly is. After diving into both research and opinion pieces, I’m going to try to remove the monster-in-your-closet regard we've cultivated for the concept. My goal is to help brands take steps to navigate social media effectively, sincerely, and without fear.

The term “Cancel Culture” has, by some, become the modern-day Boogeyman. Some would have you believe it’s lurking behind dark corners, waiting to pounce when you least expect it.

But like most urban legends, while based in some truth, its reputation is much more sinister than reality.

“Cancel Culture” can’t accurately be described as a movement because there are no real leaders nor is there a true mission. Make-shift and temporary leaders have led the charge for specific incidents and missions towards a particular cancellation, but the crowds in each case are unique and random in their assembly as well as their execution. Within their own temporary mission, it’s unlikely each participant even shares the same or similar goals for the final outcome. When you examine each case, you’ll find no consistencies other than mass moral panic directed at a target.

It is this randomness, both in action and outcome, that instills the most fear. This fear has led some to compare “Cancel Culture” to historical periods where freedoms of speech were withheld. Witch Trials around the world, The Gestapo, and other vivid and dark historical references have been made, but all fail to fully capture the culture’s most defining features. None of these examples showcase “Cancel Culture” in its more nuanced light; that as a phenomenon it’s done harm and good; it has silenced and amplified. So, with the understanding a perfect historical match has yet to be found, let us use my favorite and what I believe to be the most accurate description from history: The Venetian Carnival.

The four pillars defining the Venetian Carnival can also be applied to “Cancel Culture”:

• Anonymity and Social Allowance: Not only are you encouraged to participate, but no one ever has to know who you truly are.
• Catharsis: Participants experience feelings of catharsis; in projecting, in participation, in identifying an “other”. We’re not going to dive into the psychology of this one, but it’s there.?
• Perpetuates Power: Most ironically, participation by the average consumer, gives the illusion of power, but the activity only perpetuates and reinforces the power of the authority at large. (Carnival was, after all, a Church-sanctioned event, and “Cancel Culture” is typically instigated on capitalist, billionaire-led platforms.)
• Temporary: Carnival only lasts for a very short time - 24 hours, 3 days, to a full week and as of yet “Cancel Culture” has had very few cases of lasting impact. ?

There is a lot to unpack (read: disagree with) there, so feel free to let me know the flaws in my logic in the comments. I can’t possibly address the minutia of such a complex subject in this piece as I’m told people don’t read things more than a 5-minute read and I'm pushing my luck.

The good news is that this information (and personal speculation) provide the exact road map you need to prepare for and address “Cancel Culture”. The tips I’ve listed below allow you to set up a plan that directly combats the pillars of “Cancel Culture” I listed above. These tips start with ways to proactively guard your brand against “Cancel Culture” as well as tips in case you ever find your brand being “Cancelled”.

How to Prepare Your Brand for “Cancel Culture”:

• Know Your Values
• Cultivate and Support Your Community
• Create Lasting Partnerships
• Determine Your Order of Operations

The best way to weather “Cancel Culture” if (or when) it comes for your brand is to be prepared.?

1.Know your Values

Here are the facts; almost 70% of consumers in 2019 wanted the brands to take a stand on issues. We can assume this number has grown in the last few years since only 66% of consumers took this stance in 2017 and brands have only embraced the trend. Brands who clearly understand their Mission, their Values, and their Messaging aren’t just prepared for “Cancel Culture”, they have a clear trajectory for the future.

Now, some big businesses hire P.R. or Business Development teams to help them conduct what the industry calls a S.W.O.T. analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat). Honestly, for individuals and smaller businesses, this process doesn’t require outsourced teams.?

Consider your offering, your team, and your current business model. How are you doing the right thing in regards to your product, your customers, and society? Answer the below questions before you review your marketing strategy for each of those items:

• What is the brand’s current status in the industry?
• In the public eye??
• What values do you consider to be displayed in your work??
• What values would you like to be known for?
• What actions are you taking to implement these values?

And most importantly,?

In what ways can you sincerely and consistently convey this messaging to your audience and your clients?

Sincerity and consistency matter. You don’t have to be for everything, but you should stand for something. If you don’t feel you or your brand representatives (employees) can truthfully, honestly, or consistently speak to your Mission and Values - you need to rethink your approach. It can be as simple or complex as you want, but you should know what you stand for. AND FOLLOW THROUGH.

Include these values in your messaging regularly. In 2019, 56% of consumers reported they felt that brands were using modern-day issues as a marketing ploy. Consumers didn’t report this because they didn’t want their brands to have a stance; they felt this way because they felt the brands in question only took a stance once they were sure it would be an easy win or when the issue was “trending”. Choosing your values early and making brand decisions based on those decisions will have a long-term impact on your relationship with your customers and your audience.

“Cancel Culture” isn’t just about moral panic - very real, important, and overlooked issues and perspectives are amplified through this phenomenon. Crucial changes have been made, and wrongs have been made right. This is why, even if unfounded outrage comes your way, (and even if it sounds like a Charlie Brown Special ) sincerity needs to be at the center of your brand’s values. Anything short won’t hold up.

When backlash comes for a brand, we always think of the attackers and often forget the other, crucial part of the story; the supporters. They do exist. It’s why Nike’s burning shoes led to an increase in sales. It’s why Big Chill continues to do business despite ghost reviewers plummeting their ratings.

Big or small, brands can weather the hail storms because, when they take a stand, their communities are willing to stand with them.

2. Know your Order of Operations

Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.?

Before rafting a whitewater river, you should wear a life jacket. Before driving I-5 through Utah, you should buckle up and confirm your life insurance policy. Before building a presence on any social media platform, you should have a crisis management plan and an order of operations.

The most obvious first step is to make sure you’ve identified the key stakeholders in your organization at large and specifically those who are managing your social media. Your teams should all know who reports to whom. This should be so explicitly clear, it’s formalized in some kind of document that all stakeholders have access to. Think of it almost like a PTA Call Tree. It’s instructions are not only who needs to be approving content regularly, but who needs to contact whom, for what type of emergency, the plan in case senior stakeholders cannot be reached, etc. This step bleeds into all the other steps and will dictate any further actions. For example, will products need to be pulled? Anything from the site removed? Do ads or other marketing strategies need to be turned off? And WHO determines when it is time for these critical steps?

Your social media team should be set up to monitor the brand’s presence and general audience sentiment regularly through social listening and research. The job is to identify potential weaknesses or threats ahead of time. Part of the purpose of this particular role is to edit content accordingly. For example, when your team realizes #humpday doesn’t always reference the middle of the week.?

Your social media team, partnered with your customer service team should have prepared responses for potential social media escalations. These should ideally range from the typical to the worst-case scenarios and all approved by your pre-determined stakeholders. Your employees should understand the rules and expectations of referring to and interacting with the brand on social media.

In short, everyone should know the role they play in the brand's online presence.

3.Create Solid Partnerships

Opening yourself up to your partnerships ultimately opens your brand to risk as well. It's the nature of any partnership, but it’s important to be aware of this risk. Make sure you’ve made it clear to your partners (including vendors, corporate sponsors, investors, and influencers) your values, mission, and messaging. It may also be a good idea to outline a crisis management plan should either one of you be affected during the partnership.?

This step very closely aligns with Step 2: if you have an internal plan of action, you should also plan to have an external plan of action and it will be very similar. Before partnering with a source you should first do some thorough research into their previous, current, and future affiliations and partnerships outside your own. You won’t be able to predict all liabilities, but understanding as many of their future goals as possible will help you protect your brand from residual criticism if their brand comes under fire. However, influencers already have an edge on your brand; 63% of consumers reported they trust influencer reviews more than the brand’s advertising.?

Another key element in this step will be to make sure your social media team monitors partner brand presences and sentiment along with your own. This likely won’t need to be as robust as your brand’s social listening policies, but it will help you plan ahead and forecast any messaging changes on their part.

4.Focus on your Current Culture and Community

They say the best medicine is prevention.

If your brand can turn your current audience into a community, you’re setting you and your brand up for long-term communication. Strangers are easy to vilify and hate, but opening channels of communication early and consistently will help your customers see your business for what it is: people trying to help people, however, YOU do that.?

One major step (often overlooked) in this initiative is investing in a customer service strategy for your social channels. It's not enough to have a powerless social media rep liking and engaging with requests or complaints. Give your audience action. Show your commitment by giving your fans regular access to real company representatives available to help them.?

Use this as an opportunity to address early concerns, monitor general sentiment, adapt early, communicate clearly, and address small issues before they escalate. This is how you build loyalty and create your defenders.

Spend time and energy on an engagement strategy. I’m not talking about ploys to increase likes - I’m talking about opportunities to receive feedback, amplify your audience’s voice, showcase your users, highlight your customers, and genuinely interact with your audience. Find ways to share content that inspires them to share or respond thoughtfully. For the love of all that is good and holy, don’t leave them with single emoji responses - listen and respond accordingly! Respond in a way that leads to a real conversation. Relatability is twice as important as popularity according to the research .

Real conversations are remembered.

Fostering this culture of listening helps position your brand as a positive and real resource for your audience if they have any questions. When it’s difficult to discern which source is trustworthy, your audience will know they can reach out to your reps on social media for the answers they’re looking for. And in the time of a crisis, this relationship allows you to share the appropriate and correct information first, minimizing the threat from a contrary resource.?

If you’ve been dedicated to receiving and responding to feedback, both negative and positive, it also shows your audience you’re willing and able to change. In short, you’ve proved your brand is trustworthy. While this may seem like a massive investment, it will only pay off in the long run. Of consumers polled in 2019, 81% reported that their trust in a brand was either a “deal-breaker or a deciding factor” in their decisions to purchase. Studies have also shown the more trust a customer has for a brand the more likely they are to buy, stay loyal, and defend the brand.

This is all amazing news for you!

First of all, consumers, while skeptical, still trust brands more than their own government!

If you thought keeping your brand out of the limelight of topical issues will keep it safe, you thought wrong. “Cancel Culture” doesn’t have to be devastating to your business but it is a true threat. One that can hit at any time for many different reasons, whether or not you take a stance. Customers want the brands they’re affiliated with to stand for the same standards they do. And they’ll enforce it whether or not you’ve declared your position on anything.

My advice?

Be thoughtful, be thorough, and be sincere as you incorporate the above steps. You’ll find your brand isn’t only prepared for a P.R. crisis - you’ll have built valuable, long-lasting relationships with your customers and your audience. Turning an Emergency Plan into a simple win-win.

If you want to talk more about these or any other Organic Social Media Marketing strategies, please reach out! I've already made the first move - I wrote the article.