Brands are being

called to action.
BUT HOW?
INSIGHTS BY
Background
In June 2020, Julian Cole, Lexie
Pérez, Stephanie Vitacca, and Davis
Ballard assembled a deck of

100+
brand responses to
#BlackLivesMatter.

With brand responses from vague

solidarity statements to complete
overhauls of internal hiring practices.

Sparking the question:

HOW SHOULD BRANDS
RESPOND TO BLM?
To Explore This… We hope this study
will inspire and
guide companies
Nimbly ran a study with on how they can

400 participants
across the US.
respond to BLM to
positively fuel the
We ensured a mix of representation across change that
U.S. markets, ethnicities, and genders. society is so
desperately
seeking.
The study focused on “how”
companies can engage with BLM, with
responses from people who support
Black Lives Matter.
We wanted to hear from folks
engaged with the topic and who have
actionable ideas.
BLM is here to stay. People care and are seeking change.

#BlackLivesMatter
…has been 7 (impressive)
years in the making.
*73% of Americans support BLM
People care about BLM.
The efforts for change
have preceded 84% of people believe the attention
on BLM is either “here to stay
for years” or “here indefinitely”
decades before that.
BLM is not a trend.
But, this moment
is different.
WHY?

BLM has reached

critical mass.

* 73% came from determining the incidence rate of those who screened
into the survey for their support of BLM.
All other statistics came from surveying 400 respondents.
 What does BLM mean to you?

It means that Black

lives literally matter
Justice Every year we have cases of
All are created equal Black lives Matter mean to
me is that a day will come
when the color of my skin will I feel that segregation still exists
blacks being treated unjustly Why aren't police held accountable not judge me in any way
It means
It means that social equality Equality for all
justice for African It means giving them the long overdue equality They need to be treated as
American minorities equal. Need to get jobs as well Fighting for
Black people have This is an eye
needs to be addressed been suffering for opener for all so
Black young people being harassed regularly for to long racial equality
hundreds of years that we can put
Black lives matters a lot we should stop the It means we should be treated the same way
killing of blacksTHISISTHETIMETOSTOP an end to it

It means that everyone It means humanity love It’s very important for USA
Black lives matter
is the start of deserves to be treated It tries to make sure that It's a proclamation against the brutality
racist issues are addressed
societal change with basic respect against color skin people

Stop police killing black people when they

To save black people’s lives
It means that
That the movement should bring to light all don't have to unless it is for self defense
the concerns of the African American person
and that their wants and needs be met and

everyone deserves
It means a lot
are very important and should be noticed

Standing behind what's to be treated with It means equal rights, equal

treatment under the law
right for black people
dignity
It means that black people have lost their
lives in unjust ways in the past and it's time
to stand up and say enough and no more!
Why should Companies should be the
companies care? ones making BLM advocacy
more meaningful. They need
WHAT COMPANIES DO MATTERS:
While individuals can drive change, to be part of the solution, to
companies are unique in that they’re
packed with the resources and influence
step up.
critical to drive change at scale.

89% of people believe “companies

need to respond to BLM."
People want companies
to do something.

90% agree “when a brand they

like publicly responds to
BLM (in a way they view as
positive), it increases their
loyalty to that company.”
Companies will
benefit too.
It’s no longer a question of IF brands
should respond, but HOW.

We know a lot of companies are keen to act and

support Black Lives Matter but are grappling with how
to take action. It’s easy to be paralyzed by fear of
saying or doing the wrong thing. However, this is a
pivotal moment in society and an opportunity for
brands to help change history.

Yes, it’s challenging. Yes, it’s an ongoing

process. No, it doesn’t have to be scary.

We join you in this journey and hope to reduce any

fear by breaking down the process of figuring out your
unique how.
There is a plea for
brands to respond There’s only one way to respond:
by taking a stand Authentically.
and showing who
they are. We hear you,
“authentic” is a
buzzword, but
sometimes cliches
are cliches for a
Your customers already have a sense for how reason. When it
they expect you to respond to BLM, and comes to crafting a
therefore, they are highly sensitive to sniffing response to BLM,
out the bullsh*t. avoid focusing on
“just getting it right” BEING AUTHENTIC
and ground your
IS BEING UNIQUE TO
79%
warn “be prepared for response in the
backlash if you use the BLM values, mission,
movement to sell products.” and culture of your YOU.
brand.

79%
advise “don’t just pay lip
service to the cause because
it’s politically correct.” SO, WHO ARE YOU?
 Ensure your Actions Meet Research uncovered these 4 pillars to be signals of
an authentic brand response to BLM. The more pillars

The 4 Pillars of Authenticity evident in each BLM response, the stronger your
response.

Show you Understand Leverage Your Be Bold Commit to Long Term

the Why
§ Voice your brand’s belief about why
BLM is important to your specific
brand, your understanding of BLM,
how BLM connects to your
company’s values, and why your
response is important to your
specific brand, rather than just
voicing the actions being taken.
Unique Superpowers
§ Find the synergies between
BLM and something unique to
the company. It could be in the
mission, products or services,
audience/ customer base, or
unique industry influence.
§ Align actions with existing brand
equity.
§ Bold responses signal strength
in a brand knowing their
identity. It also signals a shared
passion for the stance taken,
versus light, generic, “white-
washed” responses that signal
“lip service.”
and Exponential Change
§ Continuous and consistent
action over time signals a
brand’s commitment to BLM.
§ Invest in one-time actions that
compound over time, such as
placing people of color in
influential roles.

89%
ADVISE “IT BEGINS INTERNALLY
[WITHIN A COMPANY]. MAKE IT
A LIFESTYLE CHANGE.”
75%
AGREE “ACTION IS RELATIVE
76%
BELIEVE “WHEN COMPANIES
91%
AGREE “BE COMMITTED TO
TO THE COMPANY.” TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT CHANGE FOR THE FUTURE.
BLM, IT NEEDS TO BE BOLD BE CONSISTENT. DON’T LET THIS
ACTION.” BE A PHASE OF HELPING. IF THEY
TRULY SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT,
THEY SHOULD CONTINUE LOYALTY
FOREVER.”
Focus Your
Actions Where
They Have the
Greatest Impact.
W E D O N ’ T A L L H AV E
UNLIMITED BUDGETS, SO
C H O O S E A N AV E N U E T O
FOCUS ACTION.
§ Rankings are in order of perceived
positive impact on BLM - from greatest to
least.
§ While research uncovered a ranking,
there is no ‘one size fits all’ response.
One avenue might be a more relevant
starting point for your brand.
§ Actions included are respondent
generated ideas that were then fed back
to the entire sample and rated for % of
group agreement.
RAN
#1
KED START
AT HOME.
Actions that examine the corporations’ internalized racism
and introspection into established practices that uphold it.
93% Equality in pay to Black/ African Americans..
Denounce racism and sexism. Take disciplinary action on complaints of harassment,
91% racism by employees. Become more concerned when an issue of racism arises.
Hire more leadership roles for people of color and promote diversity
91% across all levels of the organization.
91% Policies and practices need to reflect they care about people of color.
91% No discrimination hiring.
85% Train staff about the movement and provide training programs on diversity. e.g.
expand unconscious bias and anti-racism employee training, provide mental health
resources, etc.
I FEEL WALMART SHOULD HIRE MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR
AND ETHNICITIES IN TOP POSITIONS. THEY ARE A BIG
COMPANY WITH A LOUD VOICE.
RAN
KED USE RAN
KED LEVERAGE RAN
KED ADAPT BUSINESS
#2 YOUR VOICE #3 PROFIT #4 FUNCTIONS

Actions that leverage your media power to Actions that redistribute profit to fund Actions that leverage core business
distribute anti-racism messages, statements or BLM initiatives, charities, or support operations.
being vocal about alliance with BLM. impacted groups.

87% Promote BLM through advertisements,

endorsements. 79% Be more interested in our
customers and not just their 49% Develop products, services,
or app features that consider
money. a broad range of ethnicities.
Establish programs for entry level employees,
79% specifically from Black/African American
communities. e.g. programs for graduating high 61% Make t-shirts that all proceeds
go to education.
43% Make BLM a tagline to products.

school students that would allow them to learn

about your company, how to move up, offer
training in a low-level job within the company.
58% Provide BLM education to employees and
the public at large.
57% Donations e.g. to organizations
fighting racial injustice.
39% Pausing marketing campaigns,
product releases, or company
news to allow BLM voices to be
heard in the media.

55% Actionable solidarity statements, not platitudes

or performative statements.

55% Company executives march banners at rallies.

ANNA TODD HAS SPOKEN A LOT ABOUT BLACK TARGET, AS A COMPANY, NEEDS TO
LIVES MATTER. SHE HAS MADE HER POINT REDISTRIBUTE THEIR PROFITS TO
VERY CLEAR. SHE IS SOMEONE I FEEL HAS SUPPORT THE BLM MOVEMENT AND INVEST
USED HER MEDIA PLATFORM FOR GOOD. SHE IN THEIR EMPLOYEES TO SUPPORT ANTI-
HAS ALWAYS SEEMS OPEN AND ACCEPTING. I RACISM AND ANTI-BIAS TRAINING
FEEL LIKE THIS MOVEMENT IS SOMETHING SHE CONTINUOUSLY (NOT JUST ONCE) AS WELL
FEELS VERY STRONGLY ABOUT. AS INVEST IN THEIR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE
LIVEABLE WAGES AND SUPPORT POC IN
PARTICULAR WITH THEIR CAREER GOALS
AND GROWTH.”
ELF COSMETICS SHOULD DONATE TO
BLACK LIVES MATTER
ORGANIZATIONS AND INCLUDE
PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THEIR COMPANY
AND ADVERTISEMENTS AND MAKE
PRODUCTS FOR DARKER SKIN TONES.
Your BLM response will be assessed Your customers are
sharp and imaginative.

by its brand fit and brand potential. They have a strong

understanding of the
brands they use and
consider things like
brand persona,
audiences marketed
HOW COMPANIES WHAT COMPANIES to, communications
BRAN DO SHOULD style, and history.
BRAN
D RESPOND SHOULD POTE D
FIT NTIAL
ALIGN WITH WHO REFLECT WHAT They’re great at
THEY ARE THEY CAN DO envisioning how
companies could
If not, it’ll feel disingenuous. If not, it’ll feel like the
respond based on
company should’ve done
existing capabilities
more. and influence.

85%
agree “A company should
87% believe companies should “Give
respond only if their
active ideas that can work. If you
commitment is genuine, actions
are saying you support the
are sincere, and they feel movement, you better have the
connected to the movement.”
actions to back it up.”

83%
of respondents advise brands to
“Not feel intimidated to respond
a certain way just to look good.”
So, how do people assess brand fit and potential?
Internal reflection is key. It’s an ongoing process: reflect internally, craft your response, put it out
into the world, reflect on the reaction, and repeat.
WHO YOU ARE
Companies perceived to hold high
consumer influence are called to
leverage their profits, media
power and to “set the example”:
§ “I think the biggest companies like
Apple, Google should donate.”
§ “Samsung should come out and
support the BLM movement openly
using their media power.”
§ “Amazon should use their considerable
power and visibility to set an example
for other companies by making diversity
and equality an everyday thing.”
WHO YOU SERVE
Companies whose customer base is
highly diverse or potentially you
don’t realize you are serving.
§ “Walmart is at the forefront because many of
their stores are located in lower income areas
and patronized by people of color.”
§ “Nike, continue to support athletes who are
affected by or feel strongly about BLM.”
§ “Fashion Nova, they profit off Black/African
American people and our culture, but don’t
give credit. They should donate to small
Black/AA businesses they get designs from.”
§ “ELF Cosmetics should include people of
color in their company and advertisements and
make products for darker skin tones.”
WHAT YOU DO
Companies with a product or
service that could directly
benefit affected communities or
be adapted to support BLM:
§ “Target should provide at least 15%
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and
People of Color) business in stores.”
§ “Amazon could label each box with
an empowering message for BLM.”
§ “Fenty Beauty should adopt a
makeup collection with the name
BLM and make it a lasting brand.”
§ “Apple should add features to apps
that let you design in BLM themes.”
Take Action…Thoughtfully.
W H E N A S K E D W H AT ’ S W O R S E :
51%
said “A company trying to have an
active, public response to BLM and
unintentionally misstepping.”
49% said “No response at all.”
HOWEVER,
I T D O E S N ’ T H AV E T O B E A C O I N F L I P.
REFLECT INTERNALLY. LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCE.
Be humble about your mistakes (they will happen!) Know that you
might be called out, but don’t take that as a sign to give up, use it
as an opportunity to evolve. It requires tuning in continuously. This
is a long-term commitment, and you must put in the hard work--but
know you are making history as you do.
We hope this research will help you approach a response more
confidently and avoid common missteps. The idea is it’ll ultimately
inspire companies to respond to BLM in a way that’s truly genuine
and impactful--and propel the movement forward.
Research Approach Shout Outs
This research was designed and conducted
by Nimbly. Nimbly partnered with Props to all the people who
GroupSolver to program and host the helped sharpen this research.
survey. The survey contained traditional
survey questions (open-ended verbatim
collection and close ended questions). These include:
JULIAN NAOMI
ETHNICITY QUOTAS WERE SET
We also gathered open- COLE DANKWORTH
ended responses for
N=100 for the following: Hispanic, White,
Black/African American, Asian.
various neutrally phrased
questions, themed them
LÉXIE
PEREZ
JULIAN
COLE
up via AI, and fed
TOTAL SAMPLE
N=400 responses back to the
group to assess their
AARON
THOMAS
agreement/disagreemen.
MARION
TANIS
§ Research conducted August 2020. HEADS UP:
§ We ensured a mix of representation across U.S. DARIEN
It’s why some statements LABEACH
markets, ethnicities, and genders. may feel more
§ We screened for and only included respondents opinionated than a MEGHAN
who support Black Lives Matter. standard quant survey. PAULETTE
 DISTILLED BY

Nimbly is an insights agency with a daring spirit. As a minority owned business, we’re passionate
about making research and the world more inclusive.
www.nimblyinsights.com