How to Redefine Brand Narratives Through Ethical Communicative Practices
In 2023, audiences were witness to multiple brand campaigns that instead of being applauded, found themselves entangled in controversies. From bad timed photo shoots to a lack of transparency on charity claims, multiple brands faced the repercussions of overlooking any sort of ethical considerations that come with a hefty price: consumer trust.
As a younger generation enters the workforce and the consumer market, values are shifting towards a more ethical appeal. If you’re bound by these controversies, you’re looking at huge losses for your brand. For example, Chiara Ferragni, known as one of social media's first influencers and digital entrepreneurs, lost only around 200.000 followers in the wake of the holiday cake fiasco at the end of 2023. But that’s just numbers. Though she’s only losing on average 6.500 followers a day, she’s still near 30M followers. However, the actual cost for her brand is yet to be seen. Just recently in the high of the after-holiday sales, Italian newspapers declared her products were at 50% off yet her stores were empty. Her millennial and Gen Z audience have felt disappointed, as seen through the comments left in her last posts after the scandal. She has turned comments off shortly after. Her image, and her relationship with her followers, seems to have lost trust.
We’re speaking about a generation that calls for boycotts when ethical practices aren’t followed. In early December, calls to boycott the Spanish fashion brand Zara grew on social media after backlash on poorly-timed and insensitive ad campaign, “Atelier”, reminded viewers of images from Gaza, torn apart by war at this very moment. Starbucks lost $11 billion in market value amid push for unionization and boycotts for suing Workers United – a union organized by employees – because it had posted a pro-Palestinian message.
Brands are finding themselves at a crucial juncture. Moving forward demands a reevaluation of its communication strategies, recalibration of priorities, and a renewed commitment to transparent and ethical marketing practices. How can brands not only recover from missteps but also build a strategy that leads to lasting consumer trust and loyalty?
Cláudia Guerreiro, Founder of the Conscious Marketing Movement, has a pretty good idea.
“Brands should adjust their marketing strategies by prioritizing authenticity and transparency in their messaging. It’s about progress, not perfection. And they can do this by actively listening to customer feedback and promptly addressing concerns,” she states.
Strategies for Ethical Marketing
There’s a strong need to be innovative at a time when consumers are saturated with constant content and creativity. But… creativity can sometimes get it wrong. Brands must prioritize authenticity over sensationalism and transparency over ambiguity. By embracing “Progress > Perfection,” brands acknowledge the fact that ethical marketing and getting it “right” is ongoing. This shift necessitates a realignment of messaging, ensuring that campaigns are not only creative and compelling, but also rooted in values that resonate positively with the audience.
Key Ethical Considerations
As brands are reassessing their strategies, it becomes important to integrate key ethical considerations into their marketing campaigns. Claudia shared the following six considerations she believes businesses should be aware of:
1. Fear-Based Marketing Strategies
Instead of manipulating emotions to trigger action, brands should focus on inspiring their audience. Campaigns that are built on positivity and encouragement not only resonate better with consumers but also contribute to a healthier marketing environment. Once you start noticing fear-based marketing, you can’t unsee it.
2. Ethical Pricing Practices
Ever been to the store and seen those only .99 cent pricing? It’s a perceived psychological tactic to make you think you’re buying an item for less. By offering fair and clear pricing structures, brands can build a trustful relationship with their customers, and not lead with manipulative tactics.
3. Respecting diversity and inclusivity
We’ve seen it time and time again, brands trying to be inclusive but getting it wrong. Why? Instead of relying only on surface-level demographic data and metrics, brands should invest in asking more questions to get it right. Avoiding common/harmful stereotypes and investigating discriminatory content, brands can only welcome in more people. This ensures that campaigns hit the right tone, and can help resonate with consumers genuinely.
4. Making content accessible
Create content with accessibility in mind. This includes using readable fonts, providing captioning for videos and ensuring compatibility with screen readers for visually impaired users. How can they understand more in depth? By partnering with advocacy groups that focus on inclusivity and accessibility. Their insights can guide the efforts and ensure that the messaging resonates to a larger audience.
A good way to start is by using technology working on accessibility, tools such as AccessiBe.* It is a technology company that is working to solve the problem of web accessibility through AI. And as stated on their website, AccessiBe and the disability community partner to educate the business community and general public on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion of persons with disabilities. This is the tool that Claudia uses for her Conscious Marketing Movement website.
*This is an affiliate link.
5. Ensuring data privacy and consent
This is the age of data being a prized asset. The more brands know about your data, the more content can be tailored to meet your expectations. Obtaining explicit and informed consent before collecting any customer information is paramount, and there should be extensive communication about the purpose of data collection from brands. Many countries have multiple laws set forth on this subject, such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
6. Being transparent about claims and benefits
Transparency is the foundation of credibility, especially when brands claim about their product or services benefits. By avoiding exaggerated claims, brands can build a relationship based on trust with their customers. If a brand is selling products, by being transparent about where it was built, its ingredients, and so forth, it allows for consumers to understand what they are about to use. If it comes to services, making exaggerated claims to not follow up hurts your credibility.
Responding to errors and navigate reactions
At the end of the day, we are all human. And errors are bound to happen. It’s how a brand responds to errors that can either make or break their reputation, and is a pivotal moment for redemption in the public eye. The key not only lies in acknowledging the mistake, but also navigating reactions with transparency, accountability, and a commitment to learning. Claudia has the following advice for brands that may be in the midst of a crisis:
1. Acknowledge the mistake and say sorry - no one is perfect!
The first step is acknowledging the issue, then offering a sincere apology. Transparency is more important than brands tend to think, and sweeping things under the rug can only erode trust. A genuine apology shows humility and an understanding around the impact the error had.
2. Take responsibility and work to resolve it
After acknowledging the mistake, brands need to take full responsibility – they can do so by taking actions to rectify the situation and correct any misinformation that may have been communicated. This shows that the brand is proactive, not reactive.
3. Communicate openly and honestly
Open communication is the only way we can rebuild trust. Brands should communicate openly with stakeholders, customers, partners, and the wider public. They should articulate the steps and actions that will be taken to address the error but also what was learned from the experience and new policies that are implemented so these mistakes don’t happen again.
4. Learn from the incident to prevent future errors
Just like the title of step one acknowledges – we’re all human, and errors are a part of that. Instead of staying stuck in it though, we can only learn from the process to move forward. Brands need to have internal talks about where they went wrong, and implement changes in processes, policies, and communication strategies to continuously improve and avoid similar errors in the future.
It’s the aftermath of any mistake that becomes a defining moment for brand’s and their reputation. By taking accountability and being dedicated to improvement, we can only build a trustful relationship with clients and customers.
How to take preventive measures to minimize controversy
Understanding the ethical considerations in marketing but knowing how to respond to backlash is important – now the question is: what are the preventive measures that brands can take? And Claudia had some great advice on this:
1. Thorough market research and audience analysis
You want to launch in a new country? Want to write up an ad to take on a social justice issue (eyes on Pepsi) – do market research. Understand the market landscape and who your target audience is. When Pepsi came out with their controversial ad that included Kendall Jenner, my theory has always been that they wanted to target the Gen Z audience by using Jenner and an important movement to align with consumer values – just that the six people that created the ad were all white – bringing in no perspective from the audience they seemed to be targeting. If there was a diverse team and a thorough market research behind the ad, it could have hit the mark.
Cláudia shared with me how she didn’t rush into creating her community.
“After the Break Fellowship, we didn’t rush into creating our community. Instead, we paused to do market research. We wanted to be sure that what we were planning would actually help people with their existing needs, not create new needs. So, we talked to more than 50 people one-on-one, looked carefully at what they said in interviews, and also studied over 100 answers from forms.”
2. Establish clear brand guidelines and ethical standards
Having the brand’s values and ethical standards stated to the marketing team and continuously repeated is a way to prevent any mishaps and know that the people working on a brand’s team align with those values and keep them in mind when creating anything. It’s a roadmap for ethical decision-making in any marketing practice.
3. Team training on ethical marketing practices
Educating team members with updates on marketing trends, analysis and ethical marketing practices is another way to make sure your team is continuously reminded and exposed to the values that a brand holds. By prioritizing transparency and honesty in strategies, consumers can already feel the genuinity of the brand and trust that when it makes a mistake, will acknowledge and do what is right to address the issues.
4. Regularly reviewing and updating marketing strategies
There is a dynamic nature in consumer expectations, and understanding what resonates today may not be the same thing a few years down the road. Brands that prioritize vigilance can come out of crisis with a better understanding of where they went wrong.
Conclusion
Data shows that 72% of millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products, while 62% of Gen Z want brands to take a stand on social issues. If brands aren’t aligning with this generational market value, then they’re in danger of losing their relationship with a large market audience. The data shows that there is a big shift in consumer expectations…
Brands need to not only adapt, but move forward with authenticity and ethical marketing practices. The repercussions, as we have seen time and time again, can result financial losses and so in trust.
As Cláudia states, “It’s about progress, not perfection.”
Brands must start navigating the complexities of ethical marketing with a commitment that mistakes will most likely happen, but to lead with a commitment to improvement, proactive strategies, and a genuine connection and understanding of their audience.
