Why Brands Get Canceled
Washington Redskins, Uncle Ben’s, Nick Cannon, Jenna Marbles, and Aunt Jemima. What do they all have in common? I’ll wait, why you think about it. Still haven’t figured it out?
They’ve all been canceled.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the word. According to Dictionary.com, “Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.”
For those thinking this is a new practice. It’s not. Before the internet, it used to be called boycotting. It’s become controversial in recent times because of the increasing attention on social media. Wrongdoing, even from years ago, can go viral on social media in minutes. Videos from Jenna Marbles, the famous YouTuber, in 2011 and 2012 surfaced that showed her donning blackface. The backlash was swift and she announced she was quitting YouTube.
Brands and people might be getting canceled left and right, but some brands like Ben & Jerry are a model for authenticity and anti-cancellation.
Last June, Ben & Jerry’s tweeted:
Ben & Jerry’s was celebrating Juneteenth way before all the brands were jumping on the bandwagon. Before the Black Square trend was all over Instagram. They were a brand built on authenticity.
So how, do you prevent being canceled? First, it takes looking at yourself in the mirror. Is your brand inclusive? Do you have a diverse group of people that not only work for your brand but are empowered by your brand? It’s not only important to have diversity among your employees, but have diversity with employees in your senior ranks. Inclusive representation ensures that the message you send externally is not one of stereotype, but one of authenticity.
Cancel culture isn’t something that brands should take lightly. Brands and people are being canceled because they are coming from a place of inauthenticity. Giving canned answers rather than having inclusive representation at the table that creates authenticity. If you want your brand to get the right attention. Make sure you act like Ben & Jerry’s and not like Jenna Marbles.
This post was inspired by my conversation with Jaylen Bledsoe. Watch the conversation on YouTube. Listen on iTunes.