When George Floyd was killed in police custody, it felt as though the world had finally begun to pay attention to racism and its devastating consequences. Brands and businesses saw this too. In the weeks of protests and statements that ensued, brands spoke up, variously condemning the killing, asserting their positions against racism and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
This might have been unusual even a decade earlier when companies could stay neutral. Today, brands are expected to take a stand on what is happening in the world.
Some consumers want the products they buy to toe an ethical line and for businesses to have a point of view, as do the employees of those brands. This is all well and good but now that social media posts have been pushed further down our feeds, what is next for brands? How are they expected to behave?
More from Shelina Janmohamed
Consumers are often cynical about companies making any real change. They point to historic brand behaviours, where a company may declare support for a cause but move along as soon as media attention subsides.
This creates an impression that brands merely offer lip service to trending causes and then forget about them.
Take Apple and Nike, for example, among the many brands who put up messages about tackling racism. They were quickly called out by people who posted pictures of their all-white leadership teams and criticised them for not practising what they preached.
Even when brands seem to be doing the right thing, there is the problem of navigating a backlash.
In the US, the Aunt Jemima brand of syrup and pancake mix by Quaker, owned by PepsiCo, announced it would change its name and brand because they were based on racial stereotypes that date back to the era of slavery and black minstrels. It was a decision that caused some controversy.
In Arizona last month, a speaker at a rally for US President Donald Trump called Aunt Jemima a "picture of the American dream” and said that “the leftist mob is trying to erase her legacy”. The speaker's comments were received with hostility online. Brands, it would appear, are as contested in culture wars as statues.
This is about everything from equal pay to employing people from diverse backgrounds, to workforce representation, to inclusive office cultures, to representative leadership
In the UK, two popular brands, Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips, decided that the way to tackle such a backlash was to challenge it. After receiving boycott threats from a far-right critic for not declaring support of Black Lives Matter, Yorkshire Tea tweeted: "Please don’t buy our tea again. We’re taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism." In a collaborative spirit, PG Tips, weighed in with its own tweet: "If you are boycotting teas that stand against racism, you're going to have to find two new brands now #blacklivesmatter #solidaritea."
As the two-teas saga indicates, companies may have realised that this is not just about the US. Tackling racism is a global challenge. In future, big businesses are going to have to tie conscience with commercial success. And while it is important for brands to issue statements about ending racism, this alone is not nearly enough. To bring about tangible change, companies will have to make new targets, spell them out clearly and ensure that they are met. Once they do that, more people might be drawn to the brand in question, which would translate into more business.
There are possibly huge untapped consumers, who are overlooked due to a number of factors: unconscious bias, ignorance and sameness of thinking within organisations. This means missed commercial opportunities. In the UK, for example, a scathing report this year titled Rethinking Diversity in Publishing found that white, middle-class readers were considered the only audience for books. This abysmal lack of diversity is a much wider problem, explained in part by a 1000-people survey in 2017 that found 90 per cent of people in the UK's publishing industry to be 'white British'.
None of this should come as a surprise. And yet along with striving for a diversity among audience, diversity in workforces has been proven to increase commercial success.
Doing the right thing is ultimately what brings a company dividends. Last month Johnson & Johnson announced that it will withdraw its skin-whitening products. Not only is this the right thing to do — a small step to dismantling racial hierarchy — it will also free the company to create products that address the needs of consumers that increasingly demand more socially conscious brands.
One aspect that has come to the fore in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests is that brands need to be honest about their shortcomings. That is how they will be able to authentically take a stand against societal ills such as racism, and progress towards creating anti-racist workplaces, products and communications.
This is not just about who is photographed in advertisements and the skin colour of models. This is about everything from equal pay to employing people from diverse backgrounds, to workforce representation, to inclusive office cultures, to representative leadership, to making products that engage with a range of consumers and diverse supply chains. This is a time when something pivotal could emerge. But only if brands recognise that hashtag solidarity is no longer enough.
Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The%20Specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELamborghini%20LM002%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205.2-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20450hp%20at%206%2C800rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%20at%204%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFive-speed%20manual%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100kph%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%209%20seconds%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYears%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201986-93%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20vehicles%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20328%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EValue%20today%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24300%2C000%2B%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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BABYLON
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
