Morning Brew recently asked Scott Curran about the importance of brand transparency to achieve social impact. Check out the full piece below!
Coca-Cola, Delta's Responses to Georgia Law at Odds with PAC History
We couldn’t help but wonder: Is there a way to make purpose-driven messaging feel authentic if your company has a less-than-stellar history?
Phoebe Bain
Major brands are responding to Georgia’s new voting law, and you could say the responses feel a little disingenuous.
ICYMI, Georgia recently passed a law that (critics say) makes it more difficult for many voters—particularly people of color—to cast a ballot, per The Washington Post.
Companies headquartered in Georgia have made public statements about the law since March 25, when Governor Kemp signed it.
Coca-Coladidn’t mince words: “We want to be crystal clear and state unambiguously that we are disappointed in the outcome of the Georgia voting legislation.”
Delta CEO Ed Bastian said that the bill is “unacceptable and does not match Delta's values” in a memo to staff.
It’s complicated: Those statements sound nice enough, but Delta and Coke aren’t exactly putting their money where their PAC is.
CNBC recently reported that Delta and Coca-Cola’s political action committees (PACs) have, in recent years, donated to some of the Georgia Republicans who pushed the legislation through.
It’s worth noting that corporate PAC $$ make up a small fraction of political donations. But in a world where brands are expected to take a stand on social issues, even the smallest contribution can raise eyebrows.
+1: Patagonia picked up on the hypocrisy too, saying: “We don’t have a PAC at Patagonia, but if your company does, please consider suspending contributions to any politician suppressing votes from people of color” in its official statement against the Georgia law.
Bad reputation
But performative brand messaging isn’t anything new.
Remember Uber’s “If you tolerate racism, delete Uber” campaign which rolled out as the ride share company came under fire for unfair labor practices and racialized price discrimination?
But that’s not to say brands can’t change. We couldn’t help but wonder: Is there a way to make purpose-driven messaging feel authentic if your company has a less-than-stellar history?
Yes, but it takes time: CEO and founder of social impact consultancy Beyond Advisers Scott Curran told Marketing Brew that brands should acknowledge where they are and be transparent about their past.
“Market it all—internally to your team, and externally to your customers and other stakeholders, so they know where you are, what you stand for, and where and how you’re moving forward toward greater impact,” he explained.
Bottom line: Being upfront about past transgressions, both externally and internally, carries weight on the authenticity scale. —PB
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