PR & marketing tips: How brands can celebrate Pride the right way

With so much happening in the world right now, it can be easy for companies to feel overwhelmed. There are a tonne of important causes that have been a part of brand’s communication agendas — and rightfully so — over the last few months. But even with all of this going on, we can’t forget that June is also Pride Month; a month where people from all over the globe come together in support of the wider LGBTQ+ community. It is imperative that we discuss how brands can celebrate Pride the right way.

This offers companies the chance to celebrate and show solidarity not only with their LGBTQ+ staff but with the wider community. For a lot of businesses, it can be difficult to know where to begin – how to go about showing support in the right way – confidently but sensitively, and so on – but even some small actions can make a big impact to show recognition of the movement. In this blog, we want to highlight how brands can celebrate Pride the right way!

INSIDE

When it comes to showing support for Pride, it is best to start from the inside out – and that goes for your business too – but before you get too carried away with your own planning, engage and seek out the input and advice of your colleagues and employees. Having a team to help guide your plans in the correct way will turn a brand decision into something felt throughout your entire organisation; it will foster a sense of community within your company, prevent you from making any mistakes that could do more harm than good, and having their passion and understanding of the Pride movement will be a huge bonus.

But don’t stop there! As an equal opportunities employer, you can go the extra mile for your LGBTQ+ staff by shining a spotlight on them and allowing them to speak their truth. You can also show support and that you are sympathetic to their needs all year round, and not just in June, by ensuring that their voices are heard and that they know of any resources available. After all, an engaged employee is a motivated employee. 

Another way that your business can show support for Pride is by educating yourself and your staff on why Pride is celebrated in the first place. A lot of companies are content with adding a rainbow to their logo and making some basic social media posts about Pride, but they often either forget or don’t understand the politics and history that accompanies these celebrations — the Stonewall Riots of 1969 being a prime example. Recognising how far the LGTBTQ+ movement has come and understanding how much more work is to be done is very important.

OUTSIDE

While adding a rainbow flag to your brand’s messaging can be a simple way to show your company recognises and supports Pride, businesses should be wary of being seen to be a way of getting ‘likes’ or clicks rather than earnest support. It is important to ensure that your Pride plans are adding value to the community you are aiming to support, and are more than just a hollow gesture. After all, supporting Pride is not a marketing campaign, it’s a company statement, so be sure that your efforts have a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

A good idea would be to try and align your core tenants and those offerings with the ideals of Pride. An example of this is Netflix’s 2016 “Pride Guide” initiative which saw them curate a list of their most-streamed LGBTQ+ films and TV shows that were available to view during June of that year. This might seem like an obvious choice but since Netflix is a streaming service, curating content related to the Pride movement or celebrating the movement makes total sense to raise awareness — simple, but effective.

Normally we would suggest doing some volunteering or participating in your city’s annual Pride parade, but COVID-19 has put a stop to that kind of thing this year. In lieu of that, consider donating to an LGBTQ+ charity or organisation, there are many to choose from and are all making a worthy contribution to the community. 

At the end of the day, Pride is much more than a party and a parade; it’s a time for celebration, awareness, and progress. And as businesses work to be more inclusive in both their policies and marketing tactics, it is essential that we try to make equality, inclusion, and diversity a priority all year long.