How to Activate Around a Cultural Moment: Plan Ahead and Commit

Black History Month is well underway, which means it is not the time to start planning a Black History Month activation (...you’d be surprised how often we see this in the industry). Campaigns that successfully engage the Black community during this month will avoid performative activism, be action-oriented and most importantly, planned well in advance. Consider this your cue to start thinking about next year today.

Meanwhile, whether brands are knee-deep in executing an activation or just considering a meaningful way to mark the moment, there are a number of other cultural moments fast approaching. Brands should be thinking about these moments and potential activations, and whether it makes sense to participate, right now.

Noteworthy Cultural Moments in 2021

• Lunar New Year (Year of the Ox): February 12‍
• International Women’s Day: March 8‍
• Women's History Month: March‍
• International Transgender Day of Visibility: March 31‍
• Earth Month / Earth Day: April / April 22 ‍
• While not a cultural moment, climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities  ‍
• Asian American/Pacific Islander Awareness Month: May‍
• Cinco de Mayo: May 5‍
• Pride Month: June‍
• Juneteenth: June 19‍
• National Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15 - October 15
• ‍Indigenous People’s Day: October 11‍
• Native American Heritage Month: November‍
• Transgender Day Of Remembrance: November 20‍
• International Day for People with Disability: December 3

Launching Cultural Campaigns with Credibility

Authenticity: Consumers are no longer accepting disingenuous social posts and one-off products capitalizing on cultural holidays. If your brand is looking to release a product, plan an activation or make a statement around one of these moments, they should make a concerted effort to elevate and support the community whose holiday they are utilizing for press or consumer engagement.

• DO: Take stock of external assets. Is Hispanic Heritage Month the first time you are featuring Hispanic voices on your social channels? If so, take the next year to build trust with the Hispanic community, then celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the future (or throughout the year). These moments should be used as opportunities to reaffirm support for the cultures these holidays celebrate.
• DON’T: Have cultural holidays be the only time during the year your brand supports marginalized communities.

Commitment: Brands wishing to activate around these holidays need to demonstrate a commitment to supporting these communities. If your brand is planning a product launch around a cultural moment, prepare to field questions about how much profit from the sales of the product are being donated. If your brand is calling out systemic racism, prepare to share how the company supports their own employees of color.  

• DO: Put thought into ways your product or sales can have a positive impact, beyond virtue signaling empty support.
• DON’T: Celebrate these holidays in lieu of hiring people of diverse backgrounds. For example, brands that have no LGBTQ+ identifying employees have no reason to celebrate Pride.

Engagement: When developing these plans, brands need to pay DEI professionals or willing activists to ensure the strategy has a positive impact and does not cause harm.  

• DO: Diversify the teams working on these activations and ensure that, for example, that a team of all men isn’t planning a Women’s Day launch.
• DON’T: Force employees to weigh in on projects they have no interest in just because they are a member of a marginalized group.

While cultural moments can mark a fortuitous moment to make an impact or celebrate a community, brands need to be deliberate, thoughtful and respectful of diverse cultures and backgrounds for every action they take.

Questions? Or looking for additional guidance about how your brand should participate in upcoming cultural moments? Send us an email allyship@praytellagency.com.

The People, Allyship, Culture & Trust (PACT) team: Brands and other institutions can no longer take from cultures without accountability, check the box on diversity without true equity, or take a stand now without reflection of past behavior. The People, Allyship, Culture & Trust (PACT) team at Praytell helps brands find their voice and commit to impact around diversity, equity and inclusion. From impact strategy to research, internal and external communications, and crisis & reputation management, we’re leading this work with a deep focus on cultural intelligence and insights.