Using Measurement to See Whether Brands Walked the Talk on #BLM

Mark Weiner, Chief Insights Officer, Cision

In August 2019, Business Roundtable released a statement on the purpose of a corporation (see PRNEWS, September, 2019). More than 180 CEOs, some from America’s largest firms, committed their companies to benefit not only stockholders, but all stakeholders, including customers, employees and society at large.

Events have tested the CEOs’ resolve. Last month in PRNEWS, we explored how communication research offers guidance for PR. It helps decide ‘What’s appropriate to say?’ and ‘When is the appropriate time to say it?’ In this edition, we look at the PR implications of corporate actions in response to George Floyd’s killing and the protests that followed.
Companies and Brands Respond
Some organizations chose to play it safe; they stayed silent. However, stakeholders expect corporations to play a role in improving the world. Saying nothing speaks loudly in times like these.

To mitigate risk associated with meeting the challenges of addressing sensitive topics like racism, sexism and other injustices, some intrepid companies use research to ask questions, test hypotheses, assess their position and manage the difficult conversations into which they’re entering.

In Forbes (June 4), David Hessekiel identified 55 companies and what they did in response to the Floyd killing.