Three Brave Brands Inspire the Fight Against Hate and Social Injustice

This Sunday, the global coffee chain Starbucks joined a number of brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Hershey, Honda, Levi’s, Verizon, and other giants that decided to withdraw all marketing budgets from Facebook and other social networks to pressure their owners to address hate speech. The aforementioned brands were prompted to take this drastic step by the #StopHateForProfit campaign, backed by some leading American non-profit organizations determined to put an end to the horrors regularly posted on Facebook and Twitter profiles.

As announced by Starbucks, they have decided to pause advertising on social platforms until further notice and to speak out about the issue of hate speech together with civil organizations and media partners, discussing ways to stop it. Hershey has decided to reduce its advertising budget on Instagram and Facebook by a third by the end of the year, while Coca-Cola does not plan to invest a penny in the next 30 days. Unilever has also decided to withdraw all budgets for social media in the American market until further notice. As is usually the case, the actions are quite passive, declarative, until someone gets ‘hit’ in the pocket.

However, what is interesting, as highlighted by Fast Company, is that none of this would have happened without brands that do not have the market power of Coca-Cola or Unilever, but whose exemplary behavior encourages giants to change their behavior. These are the brands REI, Patagonia, and The North Face, which not only were the first to initiate the boycott but have also shown through their previous actions that they stand behind what they communicate in their marketing.

Famous Trio

Last Friday, The North Face was the first to join the #StopHateForProfit campaign, which was launched in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, during which an incredible number of ‘haters’ emerged on social media targeting users of non-white races and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Soon after them, Patagonia and REI joined the boycott, which also operate in the so-called outdoor product industry (recreation, sports, nature). For this occasion, Patagonia’s marketing chief Cory Bayers stated that Facebook has not done anything concrete for a long time to prevent lies and dangerous propaganda on its platform. Due to unfortunate events such as the pandemic and racial inequality, the stakes are simply too high to allow further spread of misinformation, inciting hatred and fear. Since Facebook contributes to the problem, and companies (advertisers) de facto finance it, Patagonia decided to put an end to this and show through the boycott that it is high time for concrete changes.

The Vice President of The North Face, Steve Lesnard, stated that all players, especially those in the outdoor industry, need to take a stand against hate and social injustice since their fundamental mission is to create a better, healthier world and care for the planet, which is a shared playground. Indeed, these three mentioned brands have taken clear stances on global issues in recent years, encouraging dialogue, and are not afraid to take some controversial steps such as this boycott of social media funding, which has simultaneously become a fundamental platform for their own promotion. This activism of outdoor brands is celebrated by their target audience, who appreciate the passionate approach to environmental preservation and social responsibility.

I Live What I Believe

Patagonia is among the first brands that have shown, primarily to competitors, and now to other large brands like those at the beginning of the story, how to advertise but also live the mentioned values. At the end of 2011, during the Christmas holiday frenzy, it launched the ‘Don’t Buy This Jacket’ campaign to encourage customers to buy products they really need, as well as to repair worn-out items or recycle. REI decided to close its stores on the biggest consumer day, Black Friday, which has turned into a global phenomenon, encouraging customers to go outside, into nature, while The North Face sent its designers back to school to learn how to reuse, repair, and extend the lifespan of the clothing they produce. The mentioned brands are quite active when it comes to encouraging organizations with which they share similar values. Patagonia even accused the government two years ago of lying about the protection of some American natural parks and launched the campaign ‘The President Stole Your Land’.

That boldness, consistency, and authenticity of outdoor brands appealed to their audience, who decided to support their initiatives. This is quite a rare case in the market. If companies decide to fight for a certain global goal, they do so driven by consumers, not the other way around.

Motivating Customers

Today, customers view Patagonia, REI, or The North Face as rare companies that have truly quality products (made to last), sustainable production, good working conditions, and promote sustainable consumption. Plus, some of them protect wildlife. However, as Fast Company continues, they are not perfect either. For instance, it has been revealed that one player in Patagonia’s supply chain exploits labor, and that The North Face intervened in the ‘free encyclopedia’ – Wikipedia.

However, what makes them different from other sinners in the market is that they have acknowledged every shortcoming and moved on, and no scandals (albeit relatively minor) have prevented them from continuing to speak out about social issues. Foreign media have warned in recent months that the days are over when brands can occasionally address some problem while spending most of their lifespan without making waves. On the other hand, it will take more than a ‘darkened’ profile on Instagram (some brands posted ‘black’ images to show they support Black Lives Matter, editor’s note) to prove to their customers that they truly possess the values they advertise.

The boycott of funding social platforms that, due to their incompetence, promote hate speech is one way to prove that behind the brand there is indeed someone with, pardon the expression, guts who will assess that it is more profitable for them to invest in the quality of the platforms on which they advertise than in their own short-term profits. Of course, this is harder for small companies that do not have the resources and visibility to compensate for withdrawing from social media, but the big ones really have nothing to lose (not in the long run). And so, if they need inspiration, they should follow what the brave trio REI, The North Face, and Patagonia are doing, as well as similar brands that have been paving the way for true, full-blooded brand activism in recent years.

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