5 things / woke-washing
If you're connected with me on LinkedIn or Twitter, you may have noticed that each weekday I post a ~30 second video sharing #1ThingILearnedToday. These videos seldom relate to weddings or travel, but they are about being inclusive of diverse communities, and being a good corporate citizen. Those are some of my passions, and reflect the type of work we're also doing.
I hope that you enjoy reading the summary of those stories below, or following along with the videos each day. And, if I can ever support your efforts to build your business and be more inclusive, please don't hesitate to reach out.
#5ThingsILearnedThisWeek:
Unilever's CEO called out brands that use "woke-washing" in their advertising. In other words, brands should take bold action to establish trust, not just the marketing strategy of "make them cry, make them buy."
There is a new rule that there must be at least one female moderator in all 12 Democratic National Committee-sanctioned debates. More people of color will be moderators as well, better reflecting the demographics of the U.S.
Ben and Jerry's is hosting a year-long art exhibit highlighting the challenges of mass incarceration and solutions towards prison reform. This exhibit will be on display at their Vermont factory store which attracts 400k visitors per year.
Cracker Barrel used to have a reputation as a company that allowed racial and anti-LGBTQ discrimination. They have turned around in big ways, not only in their inclusion strategies, but also with a 325% increase in stock prices, under the leadership of their CEO Sandra Cochran.
California will soon become the first state in the U.S. to ban discrimination on the basis of natural hair. The state's anti-discrimination policy has been updated to expand the definition of race to include "traits historically associated with race" - such as hair.