Although struggles for racial justice and equality have been long-standing in the US, the current Black Lives Matter and associated demonstrations (the largest in the US’ history) have bolstered the national discussion about racial justice.
What role, if any, do brands play in all of this – and what do people want to see from brands in this current climate? A report [PDF] from Ipsos finds that more people are considering equality as one of their top factors when thinking about purchasing from a brand.
For nearly one-fifth (17%) of the 1,500 US consumers surveyed, one of the top three factors in deciding whether or not to purchase or engage with a brand in this current climate is equality of opportunity across gender and ethnicity. This is up 35% from just two weeks earlier. The percentage who take this into consideration is higher for young adults aged 18-34-years-old (22%), those that live in urban areas (23%) and for Black Americans (24%).
What do people expect to see from brands at this time?
The majority agree that they want to see brands show empathy to those who suffer from discrimination (69%), while 6 in 10 want brand messaging to educate the community about systemic racism.
Not only that, but people want brands to show what they have done to increase diversity within their companies (58%), make statements against racism (58%) and call on political figures to enact change (55%).
A similar percentage want to hear that brands are making donations and contributions to organizations fighting racism (53%) and for brands to make pledges about diversity within their own companies (52%).
There is a little less support for brands allowing employees time off work to respond to events (38%), despite high-profile instances of this occurring. Read the rest at Marketing Charts.
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