This has been a consistent approach by Nike since the controversy surrounding Bwin online live casinotheir partnership with Colin Kaepernick. 

Cultural Power Evidence: Today they test very high with young people on “Dares to take risks” (73%), “Is consistent and reliable” (72%), “Is Authentic” (70%), (according to our Culture of Trust Study).

• Struggling
  Wal-Mart experienced public resistance with their Juneteenth celebration last year. This was an example of a powerful brand trying to build an inclusive image, but not getting the right people in the room and missing the message. They created an ice cream line to celebrate the holiday featuring a white model and didn’t acknowledge Black-owned ice cream brands. Juneteenth has a deep and powerful history, so it should be treated with depth and deftness, not as a marketing solution. Wal-Mart quickly pulled the product – a good thing – but failed to follow up with a path forward, likely losing them business.

• Remaining Strong
  Google: amplifying voices of underserved communities has been something that Google has become better at over the years.  So highlighting achievements of the Black community in a more thoughtful and authentic way to honor a day with such a storied past was something Google was prepared for.

That same Juneteenth, they highlighted a father-son duo who wanted to “symbolize the descendants of those who were emancipated on June 19, 1865.”

Cultural Power Evidence: Today they test very high with young people on “Creates change” (77%), “Is consistent and reliable” (71%), “Is authentic” (69%), (according to our Culture of Trust Study).

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Nobody Is Perfect! 

You and your company are not perfect. Things happen. Corners are cut. But too often that fallibility is used as an excuse to not try in the first place. That’s the exact wrong lesson to take away from this. A company cannot be afraid to make mistakes. 

Gaffes only matter if you exacerbate them, or don’t own up to them. 

Struggling → Remaining Strong
Chick-fil-A was derided for anti-LGBTQIA+ donations and their owner’s previous hurtful remarks, yet they followed up by stemming the issue and re-focusing on what they consistently do best, customer service and building youth community. Their active support to young people in a working world going through turmoil has created a brand with a growing Cultural Power. And they aren’t stopping, powering through the latest cultural dustup.

Cultural Power Evidence: Today they test very high with young people on “Great Customer Service” (85%), “Is Consistent & Reliable” (82%), and “Being authentic” (74%) (according to our Culture of Trust Study).

For young people, mistakes are just mistakes (Both Gen Z and Gen Y), and can be forgiven. A brand can always resume its path in building Cultural Power. Young people know we live in an imperfect world. 

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Are You Successful?

These moments reflect the challenge with purpose: Today, many brands focus their purpose strategies on visceral reactions, rather than the bigger picture. 

You can’t just vacation in the world of purpose and respond to each seminal moment without forethought to the bigger picture, it has to be a consistent and well-meaning effort over time. It has to contribute to the fabric of culture and people’s lives. 

Companies that focus on positive PR, social media spikes, growth, or shareholder payouts won’t achieve the power they want; these results are tied to success, yet they aren’t true measures of a brand’s power and are extremely fickle. 

True brand success is about authenticity and what makes the consumer come back. In other words: Cultural Power. 

So, Now What?

So what should we do? There are two paths forward:

1. The Road(s) Traveled: bwin live casino gamesBrands can ignore culture today, push purpose aside and only speak to practical elements (e.g. price, convenience, etc.) to avoid controversy; or try to just live in big cultural moments, and hope they don’t experience a backlash. 

2. The Road Less Traveled: Brands can own and harness their messaging, IP, brand values and personal stories to build Cultural Power.

We can’t make that decision for you (but we can help!), but we can help you build your Cultural Power. 

Our path to Cultural Power

We believe in sustained purpose and the Cultural Power path, and have been researching it for years with young people. Initially, we sought to understand what makes people fall in love with a brand, which we answered with Companion Brands, and then we expanded our scope to understand what evokes trust in a Brand, with Culture of Trust. 

These frameworks highlight and emphasize the role of purpose, and provide a clear path forward for Bwin online live casinocompanies. To dive into our research and frameworks for developing cultural power, contact us at insights@vice.com.