Modern consumers are very much politically and socially conscious and merely saying the right things or expressing support is no longer satisfactory. They want the brands to back up their support with action.
In this digital age, companies and their brands have put up on their websites and other social media massive amounts of information about their position on various political and social issues. It takes very little effort to sift the data and identify brands/ companies that have paid lip services and which ones care show in action what they have publicly said. Any inaccurate or non-authentic statements can easily be seen and publicly debunked, ridiculed in an instant across the internet.
Act instead of just talking about it
Authenticity is always the best practice, and it is even more important in times of social and political activism. Campaigns, public statements about current events make the companies open to scrutiny.
It is time to do away with general, hypocritical statements which can easily be seen as a publicity stunt and not a genuine attempt to contribute to a discussion. Instead, it is better to own up to any mistakes, be humble and share a genuine roadmap for the future. This would be better in the long run and help build trust over some time. By being open with the consumers and showing in acton the honesty, and the genuine interest in improving things would help build trust among the consumers.
Step beyond a company's perspective.
When campaigns are being drafted, instead of relying exclusively on their internal expertise and perspectives they should incorporate perspectives from outside experts, especially on subjects of universal interest, to maintain the sincerity of their message.
Get in touch with brand leaders and get their perspective on the challenges being faced and help you avoid the struggles in the future. Also, collect opinions from your target audience to understand their viewpoint and what will not work. This will allow you to see things better.
Listen, process and validate
When consumers or employees express their views on the company's response to a situation, collect their feedback and examine it critically and independently. Pay close attention to the language and the sentiments. Do not assume the reasons as this would introduce our bias and perceptions into the problem. When responding mirror their concerns and use their words and phrases to validate their concerns and show that you understand.
Apologize without explanations
A sincere apology is very powerful even if it is for incidents that happened a long time ago. Remember that sincere apology should be unconditional, without ay detailed explanations or justifications. Accept the fault and place the onus on the brand rather than the people who felt offended. Even if you do not agree with the complaints against the brand or the company, take time to reflect and determine why an apology may be necessary. If you express your apology publicly, admit you lack of understanding and how you plan to make p for that and provide follow-up statements as you learn and implement changes.
Do not make a one-off statement.
Apologies are not enough in today's digitised world. treat apologies as the first step of an ongoing dialogue to bring about thoughtful and meaningful progress.
Once you own up an issue and promise to educate yourself, demonstrate how you are continuing to grow. What is important is to act upon your promises and make sure it is seen as an action being taken and that it is an ongoing process. Statements without follow-up actions would be ignored and you may face the backlash which will be worse than if you had stayed silent. In short "walk the talk"
Following through does not have to be difficult or expensive. Make your actions to show that you are invested in bringing about real change. You may not succeed all the time, but sticking to core values, communicating with care will enable you to build trust with consumers and grow alongside them.
Marketing in the Age of Resistance
by Christine Alemany HBR 2020/09
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