How Companies Can Authentically Honor Pride & Juneteenth
June is my favorite month—the weather is warm, flowers are blooming, and I get to watch companies scramble to address backlash from poorly executed Pride & Juneteenth campaigns.
What should be a time to celebrate and honor history and culture has turned into an opportunity for brands to promote products, services, or false inclusion narratives. Companies update their logos to include rainbows and create limited edition ice cream flavors that fail to honor the cultural significance. What I'm sure took lots of resources and many months of execution from their marketing teams are torn apart in days after horrible displays of acknowledgment are scrutinized on the internet. It isn't until companies are publicly shamed by Black and LGBTQ Twitter that they realize the errors of their ways.
Supporting Black and or the LGBTQ community can be simple. However, brands continue to miss the mark and fail to address the needs and concerns of their internal team. How can brands successfully honor Pride and Juneteenth? It's simple—start by listening to your employees and target audience. Once you've gained a deeper understanding of their needs, consider these four ways to support the Black and LGBTQ community in June and beyond.
Make a Donation
Put your money where your mouth is! One of the easiest ways to show support to marginalized communities is by cutting a check! A financial contribution to a nonprofit organization that supports Black and or LGBTQ lives goes much further than gimmicky merchandise.
Need an organization recommendation? Consider donating to the Ruth Ellis Center in Michigan, whose mission is to create opportunities with LGBTQ+ young people to build their vision for a positive future.
Share Stakeholder Stories
Content is key to creating an inclusive community. Companies often focus their resources on creating external content. However, there is extreme value in creating internal content to share stories of team members within the company. Companies with internal content marketing strategies, should consider implementing a campaign dedicated to highlighting the diverse voices within an organization. Sharing their stories will promote diversity while fostering strong company culture.
Take a Stance
There's nothing bolder than a company that publicly advocates for its employees. Many laws and policies negatively impact the Black and LGBTQ communities. Companies can take a stance through social campaigns and partner with advocates to improve the lives of the marginalized. The Don't Say Gay bill was recently introduced in Florida, which would prevent the use of inclusive language and discussions surrounding gender and sexual identity in elementary schools. Today, only 13 states recognize the CROWN act, which bans discrimination based on natural hair. These are just two examples of policies that gravely impact the Black and LGBTQ community. Promoting your support of natural hair and the use of inclusive language goes beyond any short-term campaign.
Go Beyond June
One of the easiest ways a company can authentically support minority communities is by pushing the conversation beyond June. Much like Black History Month, companies often abandon topics surrounding Black and LGBTQ communities after June has passed. According to Google Trends, the terms pride and Juneteenth peaked in Google searches in May-June of the past three years. This data strongly suggests that Pride and Juneteenth are only relevant during the second quarter.
Corporate marketers have the responsibility to push the conversations beyond June. By including cultural and historically-relevant content and sharing the stories of their Black and LGBTQ team members, companies can make an impact within their teams and community.
Pride and Juneteenth deserve more than branded party decorations and colorful logos. Celebrating diversity through acknowledging Pride and Juneteenth requires strategic planning and an authentic desire to create an inclusive community.