Woke-washing is the latest trend of corporate sins.
It’s been hurled at companies as diverse as Lacoste and Cadbury chocolates, and is a growing trend in various industries.
Woke-washing is when a company tries to wash a dirty reputation in the waters of a trendy cause.
The reason companies are getting dinged for woke-washing is that they have taken one idea — that Millennials and Gen Y folks are drawn to companies with a conscience — and perverted it. These companies believe they are showing they are aware of (woke) a big problem so they must be good guys.
Ergo, younger consumers should see them as aware and trustworthy. Right? Wrong! It doesn’t work that way.
Ways to avoid the woke-washing label
Here are a few questions to settle before you take up a cause to avoid the charge of woke-washing:
1. Does the issue fit with your existing brand? Nike’s controversial ads featuring the causes that have defined Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe are good examples here. The Nike brand is all about doing your own thing and standing behind what you believe. So, it fits.
2. Are you willing to do the long-term work to align your brand with the purpose of the cause you’re considering?
That means playing it out in your products, services and employee policies. By the way, once you decide on the cause, your support needs to go beyond a one-off effort.
3. Do you really want to make meaningful change? The whole idea of being woke to a problem is that you not only recognize it but want to help solve it. It’s about honest effort to tackle some of society’s toughest issues.
Think about Dick’s Sporting Goods’ decision not to sell assault weapons.
4. Is it all “fluff and stuff” or are you really going to put some resources and creativity behind tackling a problem? Barefoot Wines is an example of this.
Since 1988, they have been championing the LGBTQ movement in an authentic way. The company launched a content series two years ago called “One Stride, Many Journeys” that highlights the journeys of those in the community to establish their own identities.
They also hosted World Pride Day in New York City this year where they previewed their “Barefoot Bestie Label” campaign, that allows people to make their own wine labels with compliments for someone they admired or loved.
Barefoot Wines donated $1 to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for every label made.
5. Is there a real connection between what your company does and the cause? Too many brands, find a “good” cause and jump into it without any connection between their company and the issue.
What earned Burger King the woke-washer label was their Real Meals campaign. It was supposed to bring attention to mental-health issues. “No one is happy all the time. And that’s OK,” was the tagline.
Reaction on Twitter was immediate and angry. Although no one can think the idea of raising those issues was a bad thing, the relationship between Burger King and the cause was simply not there. Woke-washing in the extreme.
6. Are you taking up a cause to divert consumers or paper over a corporate wrong? If you’re thinking of distracting angry consumers by supporting a good cause, you can expect them to see right through it.
When opioid giant Purdue Pharma brags on their site about their corporate social responsibility programs to “help address the opioid-addiction crisis” you can practically hear the collective eye rolls.
7. Are you ready for the backlash? Any company that takes up a cause should be prepared for criticism.
Nike got it. Starbucks gets it regularly. You can expect it once you take a stand. What you need to decide is if you can handle the potential loss of business from those who are angered by your position.
Throwing your company’s weight behind a good cause can be good for your company’s reputation and bottom line. But it must be authentic and not an attempt to distract from a negative situation.
Do it right and everyone wins.
Andrea Obston is president of Andrea Obston Marketing Communications, a reputation-management firm in Bloomfield.
