There have been lots of brands and businesses showing their support for Pride Month, and it’s easy to see why. After all, momentum for the month, which was first inspired by the Stonewall riots of June1969, has grown rapidly in recent years. In the past year alone discussions around the month on social and mainstream media channels have increased by 40% globally.
But, as the awareness month has grown, it’s also sparked a growth in ‘rainbow washing.’ This is where companies make an outward show of supporting the LGBTQ+ community during June, but don’t actually do anything tangible to help.
The most common form of this ‘slacktivism’ is simply adding rainbow colours to marketing materials, but critics have also spotted companies cynically creating Pride Month-themed products or deals.
Examples of Rainbow Washing
One company recently accused of this is Insomnia Cookies. It is offering a Pride 12-pack during June – with $2 from every sale going to organisations that support inclusive initiatives and communities. However, one eagle-eyed consumer spotted that the company is actually charging $3 more for these packs; inviting the obvious observation that the company isn’t actually forfeiting any revenue for these causes but is simply using the initiative as a money-making venture.
Fortunately for Insomnia Cookies this criticism has been pretty isolated unlike the furore unleashed on Xbox last year.
On 1st June 2023, the gaming giant incorporated the progress Pride flag into its logo - the signature embossed 3D sphere. But sadly, just a few days later commercial demands crept in, and the logo celebrating the Pride movement was swapped for a hell-themed one, in support of its newly released game, Diablo IV.
Such short-term support was one thing, but with the new logo literally featuring flames, the whole business played rather uncomfortably into a narrative at the time which included some Republicans burning Pride imagery. In one fell swoop Xbox not only had disgruntled members of the LGBTQ+ community questioning its half-hearted support, but it had anti LGBTQ+ comments such as “perfect image for Pride. And every other sin” filling its social channels.
The Scale of the Problem
The Xbox example is an extreme one in terms of the attention it garnered, but as our analysis shows, it’s not an isolated incident. Reviewing content and conversations between 19 June 2023 – 20th June 2024 suggests negative sentiment around rainbow washing has increased by 83% globally in the past year – and the vast bulk of this is during Pride Month.
So how should brands getting involved in Pride Month avoid such charges?
How to Avoid Accusations of Rainbow Washing
Common Sense Sincerity- I’d argue that the first step is simply to apply some common-sense sincerity. The errors by Xbox last year and more recently by Insomnia Cookies more recently could have been easily avoided if comms teams had thought through the consequences of their actions, how things would be seen and ensured any plans were integrated and came from a place of sincerity not commercial cynicism.
One way to ensure that genuine, sincere approach is by enabling LGBTQ+ staff, customers and community partners to input into, and even deliver, any Pride Month campaigns. Their insights and engagement will be invaluable. But if you do go this route, you need to be prepared to listen to their views – not simply deploy them as an outward sign of your inclusivity.
Consistency - it’s no good supporting Pride Month in June if for the rest of the year the business isn’t inclusive and doesn’t really uphold Pride’s values. People will be quick to call you out on this. Consistency is key.
Particularly for global brands, selling in markets where the LGBTQ+ community is not accepted, being consistent in support of the community can have commercial consequences. Many try to duck the issue by only supporting Pride Month in certain territories. But flip-flopping values in this way, depending on which country (or in the case of the USA even part of the country) you are in, will inevitably be challenged as big brands such as BMW, Cisco, BP and Visa have found:
It's not just on social media where companies are being taken to task for perceived hypocrisy. The organisation Data for Progress - through its Pride Corporate Accountability Project - identifies companies in the United States that have prepared Pride month campaigns while also donating to politicians and organisations that actively discriminate against LGBTQ+ people.
Such inconsistency matters as it underscores that the values aren’t really authentic. And as we found in our Brand Love research, having authentic values matters. People love brands whose heartfelt values chime with their own. That love translates into action – it doubles customer loyalty and triples brand recommendation. So, if you undermine your values, you impact your bottom line.
This argument plays both ways of course; if someone feels passionately anti-LGBTQ+ those are their values, and they will act on them. Brands therefore need to accept this and, if they want to support Pride Month and avoid charges of rainbow washing by being consistent, they must accept that they will anger some people and potentially lose their custom. They must feel comfortable with that.
Don’t forget who you are - another common mistake brands make while getting involved with any kind of movement is they forget their own personality in the process – and end up sounding bland or worthy. If support of Pride Month is to sound natural and not forced, an organisation’s own persona needs to still be present. This simple post from Porche is playful and impactful and a great example of a company supporting Pride Month in its own way.
It’s a really simple idea, but took a lot of effort, which those viewing it on social channels clearly appreciated. Featuring both classic and new Porches it conveys the brand’s heritage. And it neatly plays to the fact you can buy a Porche in so many colours - more than certain other car brands - a not so sly dig at Mr Musk. Beyond this, Porche has not been deterred by haters – engaging with the fans and leaving followers to deal with critics.
Be realistic - finally, accept a month-long show of support won’t transform your brand. It’s a long haul. Brands which put their head above the parapet need to be prepared to be challenged and sometimes criticised along the way. They must be prepared to own and learn from mistakes when they make them.
