I participated in a research interview conducted by Gavrielle Weiss, post-graduate student at Instituto Marangoni, London School, about the future of brand activism, and how brands can engage with integrity. I warmly invite you to read our conversation below:
GW: What comes to mind when I say brand activism?
RV: Brand Activism to me refers to campaigns tied to branding, advertisements, and messaging that a brand wants to create, ultimately, to generate customer loyalty, define reputation/identity, and awareness by connecting its brand identity with a social movement. But like most branding, I do think it exists for the purpose of generating business.
GW: How do you think addressing activism in the fashion industry specifically differs from other industries?
RV: Well, I think that a lot of people naturally gravitate towards fashion, because it’s a pop culture platform. Fashion is integrated with music, movies, so forth. So when it comes to combining social change education with fashion, I refer to it as “wrapping the vegetables inside the candy”.
It’s very difficult to normalize social change with people who never had an interest in it, if it's not packaged in a way that they can feel interested in from the get-go. So I think that there is an incredible opportunity to use fashion to launch activism.
But we can't do it from a superficial level.
Talking about it is only the first step. And when people are hooked, how can we work behind the scenes to do the deep work of dismantling a lot of the systemic structures that have been in place for many years?
GW: How do you think that sociopolitical brand activism has impacted inclusivity and representation in the fashion industry recently?
RV: I think that it's sparked a lot of conversation and it has, forced brands to make this issue a priority. It’s allowed them to see the business incentive by seeing that their market is asking for transparency and accountability. That’s one advantage of social media.
Social media obviously has its pros and cons, but its elevation of consumer activism and public voice has been instrumental in pushing the tipping point for brands and companies to make different decisions. And again, it's a great start, but it's not the end all, be all.
In regards to campaigns, I think it's wonderful that we're seeing more diverse representation in advertisements. But we can’t just stop there, because that is only addressing a consumer-facing initiative. if your supply chain still embodies post-colonial systems that oppresses black and brown bodies, or, if your organizational culture is toxic, then a pretty campaign, however well-designed, is only superficial. consumers today are smart. they will sense this, and it can severely backfire later.
GW: How is the rise of cancel culture and social media watchdogs like Diet Prada, for example, affecting the way that brands approach activism?
RV: I think that cancel culture has its merits, but it can also potentially create more toxicity. And I think that there's a way to use it in moderation. The positive effect of platforms like Diet Prada is that it does put pressure on brands and companies, and keeps them accountable. But at times, cancel culture doesn't further the discussion that needs to be made. And it also sometimes can create more division. We're already living in a drastically polarized society.
Sometimes what’s more effective and more impactful than ‘calling people out’ is ‘calling people IN’.
That means having a private conversation with them and addressing their wrongs privately, and giving them space to grow and change.
Again, there’s a right time and place to use both.
GW: When mainstream issues are shifting so rapidly, from feminism to racism to politics, how can brands show and ensure that their activism is coming off as authentic versus performative?
RV: I think that companies need to name concrete commitments. I don't think that it's fair to expect anybody to be fully sustainable. Vanessa Friedman wrote an article in The New York Times about how sustainable fashion is actually a myth. And I have to agree with her, and here’s why:
The fashion industry supply chain has been morphed into a 100-headed monster that has spun out of control, and it's going to take time for us to actually untangle that and create new processes to replace it.
So I think that we need to give space for improvement. And to understand that it takes time to grow into these commitments. But what I think would be more effective is for brands to not just say, “We're sustainable brand”, but instead list the concrete changes they would like to start with, and in what projected timeline.
Whether that's creating better packaging, or doing more training with leaders on racial biases, there needs to be concrete actions and steps, and being transparent about them. It’s impossible to solve everything at once. But start with 3-5 commitments, and name the long-term visions. You may not be able to achieve them all tomorrow, but committing to solving it is already a better way to communicate honestly and genuinely.
GW: When brands have a history of controversy or problematic practices in the eyes of consumers, how can they begin engaging in impactful activism without appearing to be self-serving?
RV: You can't solve a problem if you don't name the problem. I think brands just need to be honest about where they are as a brand, and being transparent about what they want to do. And again, I would recommend they keep transparent communications open about the progress they are making. Transparency reports are important.
I also think they can’t just react to a crisis, and do something on a one-time basis like a donation- this is a prime example of performative activism. But when you are actively putting in place long-term solutions (ie. seeding organizational change), you are judged on what you’re doing when nobody’s watching.
GW: What do you see as the future of brand activism and fashion?
RV: Gucci set a new precedent by saying that they are no longer doing seasonal shows. This shows us the changes that they're making in their business model, and is an example of the next step towards brand activism.
A lot of times KPIs are assigned to measure sales metrics. But I think that we need to have more emphasis on KPIs on sustainability and how to measure that progress. Consumers want brands to show where the money is going, and what they are investing in. Are those investments going towards change-making? What do your transparency reports look like?
A lot of companies say that they have a social responsibility team, but that team (and their budget) is often very small. So we need to see how well you’re investing in the solutions you say you want to be a part of- those are the receipts that prove you are committed. receiving actual proof of your business decisions, and then seeing them manifest into new, sustainable business models, is the next level of brand activism.
Can I help you tell meaningful stories of impact? Check out my work with brands and organizations here, and contact me to continue the conversation. For my education work with schools and universities, see here.