Socially conscious campaigns by large corporations can have mixed results. For every success, such as Dove’s “Real beauty” campaign, vaunting that all women’s body shapes are beautiful, many others fall flat. One example of how not to do it is Starbucks’ attempt to get America talking about race. The campaign had baristas writing “race together” on coffee cups.
There is no question that the US needs more discussion on race relations but was this the right way to start a dialogue? After much mockery on social media, Starbucks has abandoned the tactic. But this has prompted another discussion – should a corporate brand take up a social issue? And if yes, then how? That is simple. The message should be authentic, clear and believable. It’s fine for TOMS shoes, for example, to advertise that for every pair sold, it sends one to a child in need. But for a coffee chain to promote diversity sounds gimmicky. No surprises it didn’t fly. Or do any good.
