Brand Accountability is the New Normal
How can brands build diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces to better culture?
“Operationalize your words”
Words can only go so far in the new normal. In the wake of #StopHateforProfit, we saw the business world step up their protest game to boycott Facebook’s handling of toxic hate speech. While this made media headlines, the ensuing PR hype will soon fade along with the rest. Where this leaves long term impact, sustainability and true business accountability as we move beyond crisis control and emergency actions remains to be seen. While the first wave of solidarity following George Floyd’s killing brought declarations of intent, donations and symbolic gestures to the forefront of media conversation, this second wave begs a similar question. Beyond high-level improvements in policy and ideology, how do businesses plan to move the needle and address cultural shifts on the ground towards diversity, equity and inclusion? As “stakeholder capitalism” becomes more widely accepted, where values-based actions trump one-off campaigns and trend activism, we can and must act collectively to transcend racialized practices and investor-first economics, and hold each other professionally and personally accountable as we remake “business as usual.”
Stakeholder capitalism rises
An exploration of stakeholder capitalism must kick off with the obvious leader in this space. Does BCorp even need an introduction? For 15 years strong, this organization has created a movement to redefine ‘success’ in business by putting people first. Success is no longer defined by short term gains and quarterly earnings targets, but rather by impact on all stakeholders involved. Beyond investors, this people-first model puts workers, customers, suppliers, communities and the planet on the same playing field, while upholding the values of sustainability, inclusivity and productivity. For some, this might sound too good (or idealistic) to be true. That’s what I thought, until this piece of data came along.
“During the 2008 financial crisis, B Corps were 64% more likely than other businesses of a similar size to make it through the downturn.”
While these numbers tell a compelling story, the real genius lies in how businesses adopting this model today are turning a corner, proving that ‘people-first success’ is directly in proportion to positive business outcomes. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen growing interest across the spectrum popping up in the Business Roundtable’s Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, increase in companies becoming B Corps certified, and overall narrative shift around what the role of business should be. According to a Forbes interview with B Corps Co-CEO, Anthea Kelsick, the data now points to a promising trajectory.
Anthea Kelsick, Co-CEO of B Corps
“We’ve also been pleasantly surprised to see there are as many companies interested in and applying for B Corp certification as there were this time last year, as well as an increasing number of companies inquiring about how to get started.”
Perhaps, the soil is finally fertile for this long overdue shift. With all systems cracked wide open, there’s never been a better time for systemic innovation and new diverse voices to enter the scene. This sentiment is echoed by B Lab’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in her eloquent synthesis about the missing ingredient up until now — empathy:
Ellonda Green, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at B Lab
“It was always someone else’s problem. When things don’t hit close enough to home, it’s easy to change the channel, to overlook and walk away. It takes effort and purpose to go looking in on someone else’s world, and so many of us before the pandemic only paid attention to what was affecting our own.”
While we have a long road ahead of us, all signs point towards a similar path. The old paradigm of “survival of the fittest” and competitive antics are crumbling in a world that’s desperately seeking a sustainable, inclusive and diverse system that works for all. While investor resistance is in real need of course- correction for all stakeholders to benefit, there’s a roster of companies showing that this new model of capitalism is here to stay. Let’s dive into a few best in class examples.
B Corp companies raise the bar of accountability
If you can’t already tell, B Corp is a major crush of mine (always has been, but particularly potent now for the obvious reasons). In an urgent letter to the B Corps community, Anthea Kelsick (a black woman herself) made a declaration to step up the work of anti-racism and prioritize the actions needed. She detailed the important questions to start with, understanding these are the beginning threads of a deeper conversation unfolding with time. Included below are the organizations that have responded, showing the breadth and depth in which businesses can and must continuously show up. Because let’s be honest, our governments, laws and policies are not capable of bringing change alone. The private sector has an opportunity and responsibility to affect culture in the direction most needed to build equitable, diverse and inclusive spaces for good business to thrive. That said, let the curiosity, empathy and work begin — these questions are an important stepping stone to the work ahead:
● How am I educating myself and my stakeholders about structural racism?
Pela, the world’s first biodegradable sunglass line, rounded up a newsletter centered on anti-racist education. Worthy of a read, listen & watch if you’re curious.
At Resonance, we are committed to learning from black voices and unlearning the ways in which we’ve benefitted from a system that privileges white bodies. We won’t present our “racial resume” (a term from Resmaa Menakem’s interview with Krista Tippett during an episode of ‘On Being’), as we understand this isn’t the point of anti-racism work. It’s about transforming culture one conversation, creation, and consideration at a time (however uncomfortable or confronting this process may be).
● How am I holding space to allow for conversations about structural racism in my company?
Project Inkblot is leading the charge on helping organizations design for diversity, equity and inclusion in their proprietary way-finding tool, D4D (more on this amazing consultancy further along). Some brands they’ve consulted with include Etsy, Indiegogo, WeWork, and The New School to name a few.
● What practices does my company have in place to support Black and People of Color team members?
North Coast Organics, maker of certified organic deodorants, is transparent about its diverse staffing, pay ranges, hiring considerations and dedication to holding safe spaces for racial conversation — “everyone but owners get paid sick & vacation time” and “employees are paid to volunteer at a non-profit of their choice.” All of this and more in an Instagram post.
● How am I supporting Black and People of Color business leaders that are in the B Corp community or other communities I’m a part of?
Diverse, equitable and inclusive investments are part of the solution. Look no further than Nia Impact Capital, as she breaks it down further in actionable steps for allocating investments.
● How am I supporting civic engagement to hold public leaders accountable and tackle structural racism in our systems of government?
Doctor Bronner’s is not afraid to get political. To tackle the criminal justice system’s racialized War on Drugs, they’ve pledged $250,000 to the “Yes on 44” campaign in Oregon for the “Drug, Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Act,” while simultaneously gathering signatures to get this on the ballet. Bold is the only way to go.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion beyond a catchphrase
While these three words (diversity, equity and inclusion) aren’t new, the world is paying attention. Again, words can only go so far in a time where business actions are predicated over glossy mission statements and one-off campaigns. Changing company culture is at the heart of the new conversation.
As a digital agency in the business of branding, strategizing and growing small businesses, it’s with great responsibility, accountability and excitement to collaborate with brands that want to level up and do better all around. Driven by a compass to bring real impactful change to businesses we work with and all their stakeholders, we wish to apply the core tenets of diversity, inclusion and equity into all the cultures we touch — always centering on how to make inclusivity palatable cross-culturally, especially with expat workers operating in foreign communities.
For us, Project Inkblot is the perfect place to start. As dedicated designers and futurists with a mission to build diversity into the creative process spanning products, services, and industries, they have done the work of meeting businesses where they are. Blending methodology with intuition, their way-finding D4D framework is digestible and accessible no matter where you as a brand are on the DEI spectrum. As beginners to this world ourselves, we were incredibly humbled by such thoughtful starter questions, all in service of unpacking the essence of who you are, how you create, and who you’re ultimately creating for. The deeper dive lives here:
Team Question #1: What’s the worst-case scenario, and on whom?
Takeaway: Despite all your best intentions to create products and services that include all, impact is what counts in the end.
Case Study: Restaurants designed a system to go cashless and serve the millennial culture of convenience. Despite the consideration for their target audience, this system was banned across multiple cities for the unintended impact their service had (disregarding the needs of older, POC, and low-income patrons)
Team Question #2: How do the identities within your team influence and impact your design decisions?
Takeaway: Before diving into the design thinking/creative process, check everyone’s biases at the table. Who’s present, who’s not present, and how will this constellation impact the final product?
Team Question #3: Who might you be excluding?
Takeaway: As marketers, this one can seem tricky at first especially when your inner training demands attention (creating the target audience requires narrowing by design — it’s baked in the process). That said, this question probes deeper into how our own biases can limit our whole picture thinking and who is actually excluded from the real (versus perceived) target.
Team Question #4: How will you engage the people you want to reach within your design process, equitably?
Takeaway: When you pull back from the target audience, get honest with yourself about who, if at all, you’ve excluded. Discerning between the “source” and “excluded” audiences is imperative for whole picture thinking, to understand who, if any, you’ve overlooked as a result of implicit bias.
And finally, Team Question #5: Is the ongoing process of improving your product/service informed by The Source?
Takeaway: This way-finding framework isn’t a one-and-done process. It requires regular check-ins to integrate diverse, inclusive, and equitable perspectives at all critical stages of development and growth.
For us, these questions get us excited about the future of creation thinking, brand and product development. How to spark curiosity in the right direction, override blindspots and center overlooked perspectives in the greater conversation is where we’re headed.
Anti-racism work must infiltrate culture
As Theta Waves anchors in the multidisciplinary space of cross-sectional curiosities, we felt compelled to bridge this topic with the voice of Kesmaa Menakem. A clinical psychologist and trauma specialist based in Minneapolis, Kesmaa brings embodiment to the racial conversation of white supremacy, coining the phrase “white body supremacy” (how a white body is privileged over the black body). In a groundbreaking conversation with Krista Tippet on her podcast ‘On Being,’ he digs down to the trauma underlying both our racially divisive culture and epigenetic information. A few moving quotes jump out that deserve space to be heard:
“‘White supremacy’ does not land in the body.”
“We try to teach our brains to think about race.”
“While we see violence and anger in the streets of our country [US], the real battlefield is inside our bodies [and nervous systems].”
Resmaa Menakem, Clinical Therapist & Trauma Specialist
Let that sink in, again and again.
So, why bring this up in the context of business, branding and creative development? As we’ve explored with stakeholder capitalism, the rules of economics are in question as a framework that can serve all people, especially those considered “essential” yet disproportionately disadvantaged during the crisis (no surprise, Blacks and Latinos). As conversation has probed deeper into root cause understanding, we must re-emerge with actionable insights and operationalized learnings. There is no room for complicity, niceness and positive semantics without a real commitment to doing better. For black people, all people, and the planet. Human rights is front and center, and no business can and should benefit without doing their part to contribute to anti-racism.
“We can’t have truly anti-racist organizations until we have a truly anti-racist world.”
At Resonance, it is our great responsibility and passion to move the needle one small business, story and audience at a time, with anti-racism at the forefront of how we navigate culture and conversation.
