Forty percent of US consumers are more likely to consider doing business with a company that takes a stand against racial injustice, according to a poll by Kantar, the research firm.

Tiffany Lever, head/client success at Kantar Marketplace, discussed a survey of 945 adults conducted by the company in order to understand how consumers perceive the ways that brands are responding to racism.

“We saw that 40% of consumers say they’re more likely to consider a company that takes a stance,” she said. (For more, read WARC’s in-depth report: How consumers are responding as brands drop racist logos and characters.)

Another 41% of participants in the analysis agreed that the support of corporate entities for addressing racial prejudice is “genuine”, the study added.

“We found that less than half of consumers felt that these companies’ responses were genuine, and only about half felt that they would actually follow through on their commitment,” Lever said.

Michelle Eule, head/platforms and data and insights in North America for Kantar, pointed to the example of brands updating logos and characters that are based on stereotypes in highlighting the clear need to adapt.

Whether it is Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima’s in the packaged goods category or the NFL franchise in Washington dropping its offensive “Redskins” moniker, she added, new strategies must be based on inputs from a diverse audience.

“None of us were in the room when these original names and logos were created,” Eule said. “We can imagine, though, that the decisions were probably not made with the input of diverse business leaders or diverse consumers.”

As outmoded marketing practices come under heightened scrutiny, business as usual is not an option. That applies right through from recruitment and talent-management decisions to casting and characterization in ads.

It also means that brand custodians should gather feedback from a diverse audience on their output, new product development, and so on.

“Going with your gut has never really been good advice for savvy marketers,” said Eule. “But in the wake of ongoing social, political and public health crises, it can really be lethal for brands to act as quickly as the market demands without a validated and diverse consumer perspective.”

Sourced from WARC