The #MeToo Movement: Making the Case for Brands to Join the Conversation

Editors Note: This topic was chosen in partnership with my fellow classmate, Graham Parker, who will be writing about the opposing side of this issue. I would strongly encourage you to give his blog post a review, having varying viewpoints on important topics is an integral part of the communication process. 

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, which gained momentum in the Fall of 2017, and the dizzying decline of movie producer Harvey Weinstein and others, it’s a natural progression for an organization to consider their role in the conversation.

When should a company get involved? If they feel strongly about gender equality, equal pay, diversity and representation, shouldn’t they add their voice to the cacophony that is demanding change? My short answer is yes.

I think it really depends on the brand, the sincerity of the organization, and the core mission and values and how they align with the movement. For this post however, I am going to talk about the value of a brand aligning with a movement, and the importance of key corporate stances that make a positive impact in our society.  Let’s discuss three basic rules that an organization should abide when wading into a potential political and social firestorm:

1. Authenticity Matters: As a brand, you can’t shout from the rooftops about equality when your executive leadership, c-suite and board of directors is all represented by a group of people who look, think and act the same way. If you have diversity in your organization, than talking about the value of that is vital. If you don’t, shore up your own home before joining a movement and risk looking hypocritical. We don’t need another Matt Damon shouting from the rooftops, “not all men”. *insert eye roll here*
2. You CAN make a difference: Organizations and their collective influence and voices, carry a lot of weight (Feldmann, 2016). Powerful campaigns have made a huge difference in changing the conversation about our perceptions (Feldmann, 2016), consider Dove’s “Real Beauty” Campaign:  
3. You SHOULD make a difference: This is as much about the value of of doing the right thing, as it is protecting your bottom line. An organization who stands for something is becoming increasingly more important to a younger demographic (Laurine, Bruch, Huitt & Johnson, 2017). Your key audience wants to align with organizations who are thinking about the future, and looking to make a positive impact (Laurine, Bruch, Huitt & Johnson, 2017).

#MeToo is more than just a hashtag, it’s the result of systemic and long-standing abuses of power, and everyone is responsible to change the dynamic, the expectation and the conversation surrounding gender equality. As an organization, and a brand, it’s important that you look from the inside out when joining a movement. Organizations have a responsibility to demand equality and justice as well.

So, now that we’ve established the importance of an organization jumping into the conversation, the next obvious question would be “how”?

I think it’s best to start small, while thinking big.

As a company, how have you ensured gender and pay equality for your employees? Do you have a female CEO who can speak about the benefits of having female representation in the C-Suite? How does your product or service support this movement? Ensure that your messaging is authentic, reflective of your organization and honors the bigger conversation. Still wondering how you do this? Look to KMPG for guidance, they tackled the #MeToo movement, and ensured they were on board both internally and externally (Gourguechon, 2018). In 2015, KMPG’s Lynne Doightie became the first female CEO of a big four accounting firm, and in light of the #MeToo movement, was positioned well to respond and join the conversation in a productive and meaningful way (Gourguechon, 2018).  

Changing societal expectations and conversations is a marathon not a sprint, and every mile counts.

And so, in the interest of solidarity, transparency and change, #MeToo.

References:

Feldmann, D. (2016). Social movements for good: how companies and causes create viral change . Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Gourguechon, P. (2018). Forbes. How One Company Responded Proactively to the #MeToo Backlash. Retrieved From: https://www.forbes.com/sites/prudygourguechon/2018/07/29/one-companys-proactive-response-to-the-metoo-backlash-and-yes-thats-a-real-thing/#33194712508b

Laurine, J., Bruch, A., Huitt, W., & Johnson, J. (2017). Millennial Turnover Intention Predicted by Corporate Social Responsibility and Compensation Satisfaction. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1952261957/