Can You be Both a Social Activist and a PR professional?

By Emma Stevens

The PR profession is often criticized for being disingenuous, and all you have to do is take be brief look at the media to see that this is often true. That said,  I believe that anyone can do just about any job in a dishonestly and that it’s up to us to live our lives with integrity and authenticity. From my point of view, understanding  the scope of the world and how your company fits into trends, news and activism is a key part of PR. Additionally, as our country has become increasingly divided, the public wants to know their favorite brands share their values. The important thing to consider, if you are thinking of taking on a political issue, is the backlash. Be extremely mindful and authentic when deciding your “social battle.”

Here are some companies I believe have done a great job at this 

1. Dove

Dove is a brand that sets its eyes on changing how we advertise to women and men. Dove’s main goal was to promote the real bodies of women of all shapes and sizes. The company used its brand and voice to fight against unrealistic beauty standards with over a hundred separate campaigns. Dove has also learned from its mistakes. For example, the company was criticized for using the new message solely for profits. In response, Dove has created more and more authentic content, all the while partnering with pro-women organizations. If you can find an organization that aligns with your company’s key messages, endorse it. Loyalty to a brand is earned through that brand’s on-the-ground actions. Show your support of non-profits or any organization that aligns with your campaign in an authentically.

2.  Nike 

I referenced this in another blog, but Nike took a risk and promoted Colin Kaepernick, who has been publicly criticized for kneeling during the Pledge of Allegiance. Nike decided to feature him because they believed in him as an athlete, but also because he took a stand. Nike never openly stated that they agreed with his actions, but they supported him during a time when many were scared to do so. Nike is a huge brand with a wide variety of consumers, and they understood they could risk a backlash by taking up Kaepernick’s stance. And it did. Nike was criticized for promoting a “liberal” point of view for profit. I believe Nike wanted to represent its brand as one that accepts all people and all views. Nike chose to highlight what they preach and I don’t see any part of it being as disingenuous. 

3. Patagonia 

Patagonia is incredibly open about its views on climate change, our current president, immigration and many other hot political topics right now. It often uses its Instagram account to call out legislation that fails to protect our natural resources and by supporting political candidates with a strong environmental record.. A great example of this was a post from December: “… @u.s.forestservice is recommending to exempt Alaska’s Tongass National Forest from the Rule, which would open up this pristine landscape to logging, road-building and other development. We have a chance to do something about it. Make your voice heard with the @wildernesssociety by December 17th through the link in bio.” I believe this post is very on-brand. Patagonia is an outdoor company with a liberal CEO, and has always walked its talk. It has always had the same voice, views and scope of interest–protect the environment at all costs.

Now for the fun part, a company that missed the mark. Who remembers the famous Pepsi campaign featuring Kendall Jenner? The campaign showed Jenner casually joining a protest march to give the police a Pepsi as a “peace offering.” This campaign was met with enormous backlash, scornful memes and very PUBLIC scrutiny. Both Jenner and Pepsi apologized, but the ad still comes up in conversation today. Pepsi was accused of appropriating a protest movement to sell its product, thereby undercutting the march’s importance. Any brand that attempts to take on a political issue should take a page out of Patagonia’s and Dove’s playbooks – speak authentically to your audience, don’t trivialize what’s very important to a group of people.

My last piece of advice is if you are going to hop on a social or political trend, stay true to its message and follow through with your commitment. There is nothing worse than a company that jumps at any chance to be promoted. Keep your values intact and promote your message with the best resources you have. Don’t forget about your audience.