Sushant Koli 🚀’s Post

Has Pride Month boiled down to just another Marketing opportunity? Let’s address the elephant in the room As we reach Pride Month every year I see Rainbow Logos and pride flags by every brand And I'm sure it's gonna be the same this June. But what’s happening in reality is pure BS → Rainbow Washing: Slapping a rainbow on your logo for June  But doing zilch for LGBTQ+ rights for 11 months. → Tokenism: Featuring LGBTQ+ people only during Pride Month,  And then vanishing them from campaigns. → Merchandise Mania:   Selling Pride-themed products  Without donating a dime to LGBTQ+ causes. But at least they’re talking about it na? It’s a start! Um… no it’s not :) Brands talk about LGBTQ+ rights  But have discriminatory policies and leaders. This leads to bad branding Because of lack of trust and authenticity. So before going all rainbow crazy in June Try these 3 things out: 3/ 365 days of Support ↳Commit to Queer rights & representation all year.  ↳Actions speak louder than your rainbow logos. 2/ Genuine Allyship ↳Support queer employees & communities  ↳with real policies & donations, not colorful products. 1/ Be Transparent ↳Be clear about where your Pride Merch profits go  ↳Donate to relevant charities and make it public. Brands, it's time to walk the walk. Pride isn’t just a month; it's a movement. 🌈💪 P.S.: Have you ever been to a pride parade?

While Pride Month shines a light on diversity and inclusion, a common sight is companies sporting rainbow logos and limited-edition merchandise. This practice, known as "rainbow washing" or "pinkwashing," can have unintended consequences. Initially, widespread corporate support can feel validating for LGBTQ+ individuals. However, the realization that much of this support lacks substance can lead to feelings of betrayal, cynicism, and disappointment. Here's how we promote authenticity: 🌈 Look beyond the rainbow and assess companies' LGBTQ+ rights contributions 🌈 Encourage companies to be transparent about their efforts to create an inclusive workplace. 🌈 Advocate for resources flowing directly to LGBTQ+ organizations. Remember to support LGBTQ+ creators, donate to charities, and hold companies accountable always and not just during #Pride!

How can brands p-ride over the rainbow beyond June? 🌈 In a conversational study using our agile insights platform SBX, it was revealed that out of 1067 consumers in the UK, the vast majority of people ( 75%) feel positive about brand engagement with Pride, but 39% see rainbow marketing as disingenuous and inappropriate. “Adopting inclusive logos as a one-off simply isn't enough,” said Vidisha Gaglani, CEO of Streetbees. When asked how brands should support these groups, consumers cited year-round engagement ( 40%) as the most important factor, followed by LGBTQ+ support ( 31%), inclusive practices ( 29%), charitable donations ( 22%) and inclusive advertising ( 20%).  ✅ Read the full Research Live article here- https://lnkd.in/eJ2bpTfX Get access to the full research here- https://lnkd.in/em9Fy2Sy How do you think brands should show their support? 🤔 #PrideMonth #StreetbeesInsights

As Pride month draws to a close, here’s a little reminder from us 🌈⬇️ Posting your company logo in rainbow colours does about as much to help the LGBTQ+ community as… ➡️ Clicking your heels together three times ➡️ Screlting out some Chappell Roan in the shower 🎤 ➡️ Performing a ritualistic iced coffee dance. It’s fun. But it’s not getting sh!t done. Allyship needs to be active, not just a colourful LinkedIn icon. Especially when this is a group that still battles marginalisation, suppression and discrimination globally. So, here’s some things that *actually* help 📖 Get Educated - Stay informed, understand the history of Pride month and what it represents, and remain conscious of what is going on globally 🏃🏽♀️ Get Active - Vote. Donate to LGBTQ+ charities and organisations. Share campaigns where needed. Put your money and time where your rainbow logo is    👂 Listen - When your LGBTQ team members speak on their experience, preferences or concerns, listen. Be open to feedback, willing to take accountability and flexible enough to make changes when needed ⚡️ Diversify - Hire more queers. Simple. 👀 Stock Up - On oat milk… If you have shared a pretty rainbow picture, or plastered a Pride slogan on an otherwise generic post, never fear. There is still time to make a real difference this Pride month - and all year round, of course. 🔗 in the comments to some useful ressources! Happy HAPPY Pride to each of you from everyone at Electric Cat ✊🌈🌟

Faerfield is proud to celebrate Pride 2024. Supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community is more than just changing your company logo. It’s about actions and commitments that make a difference – here are just a few that you can do to get involved. 🌈 Attend Pride celebrations: most cities in the UK have their own Pride celebrations between May and September. Head along – they’re a lot of fun. 🌈 Allyship: be vocal about your support – use inclusive language, challenge stereotypes and stand up against discrimination. 🌈 Volunteer or donate: you can also contribute to LGBTQ+ charities and organisations, either through donating financially or your time. 🌈 Self-education: learn about LGBTQ+ history, terminology & issues; about the challenges faced by the community and about the progress that has been made. Keep an eye on the Faerfield page for more information on how we’re celebrating Pride this year. However you’re celebrating, we hope you have a fantastic time. #faerfield #equality #lgbtq+ #recruitment #inclusive #pride

June’s revelry and rainbows are an important time to celebrate and soak up the beauty and vibrancy of our community, but the queer experience doesn’t exist solely in a month. All year round, each and every day, we here at Kirrin Finch move through the world as queer people and queer allies. It’s imperative that we pause and highlight the work that needs to be done to lift up and protect our rights and safety. Pride started as a riot because our community was under attack, and the need to stand up and fight back is just as important today. Recent threats to our community are meant to intimidate, scare, and prevent us from living authentically. They are very real, and sadly, they are escalating by the day. We’re also disappointed to see a growing trend of companies and organizations shying away from showing up for the LGBTQ+ community due to hateful rhetoric. At Kirrin Finch, we recognize the importance of showing up all year long. We’re living it. We approach our social giveback strategy through three different pillars: donating time, sharing stories and resources with and about the community, and philanthropic giving to LGBTQ+ organizations. Today, we ask you to join us in living with pride every day by celebrating some of our amazing community partners as Kirrin Finch “gives them their flowers!” #futureoffashion #LGBTQ #advocacy #giveback

Advertisers: Be Authentically Proud Year-Round How can you better reach the LGBTQ+ market during Pride and every month, and be even more genuine and authentic? Hear from two well-known and respected leaders in media and LGBTQ market: Jeff Hastedt, Brkthru Co-Founder & Managing Director and Todd Evans, President & CEO, Rivendell Media discuss brands that have gotten it right, and a few that could do a better job. A few thoughts: ·      Show your brand’s support year-round. Don’t just change your logo to a multi-colored background for a month as an easy marketing ploy. ·      Make a charitable donation. Give to a relevant organization or good cause that helps to provide resources, supports or helps to the gay or LGBTQ community. ·      Avoid “rainbow washing.” And if your company makes a mistake, own up to it and apologize. ·      Foster an environment in your own company where everyone can be their authentic selves every day. Brands that acknowledge and respect LGBTQ+ demand will be ready to claim greater market share. If you are an advertisers or marketer interested in showing your support this Pride and every month, reach out to us Brkthru. We’ve successfully managed hundreds of digital advertising campaigns reaching the LGBTQ+ community. And, along with partners like Rivendell Media - with more than 40 years of experience representing 95% of LGBTQ media – we work with advertisers and agencies to reach LGBTQ community every day. https://lnkd.in/erS2fFT6

As Pride Month comes to a close, we reflect on the importance of inclusivity and solidarity.🌈✨ At Ringer Sciences, we stand with the LGBTQ+ community in celebrating diversity, equality, and love. This month, we dove deeper into the #CorporatePride conversation, from how the Fortune 100 marked the occasion, with 47% of companies participating, to social media discussions of brand involvement in Pride Month celebrations. From logo changes to charitable initiatives, brands showed their support in various impactful ways. Concurrently, consumer discussions highlighted the significance of brand involvement in Pride Month celebrations, focusing on the authenticity of support, the impact of donations, and community engagement. Let's continue to champion diversity and equality every day. #RingerSciences #PrideMonth #Inclusion #LGTBQ #RainbowCapitalism #F100

With Pride Month upon us, you may start to see a lot of companies changing their logos and profile pictures to rainbows. And sure, any allyship is better than none, right? But if you want to do something real, something that isn’t just slapping a new color lockup on your logo, why not try out a bit of genuine allyship? If you haven’t already, now might be a good time to start incorporating pronouns into your email signatures. Or, if you want to do something bigger, your community is a great place to start. Whether you’re covering the cost of banned books by LGBTQ+ writers and donating them back to the community, or you’re producing pro-bono videos for a local LGBTQ+ nonprofit, there are plenty of ways to make an impact. As respected LGBTQ+ advocate Stan Mitchell said: “If you claim to be someone’s ally, but aren’t getting hit by the stones being thrown at them, you aren’t standing close enough.” Maybe it’s time for you to get a little closer.