We continue to see an uptick in company announcements in honor of Black History Month, including several campaigns where proceeds from sales of certain products will go to organizations that support the Black and/or BIPOC community.
Noteworthy Black History Month Brand Campaigns on Social Media (in the last 7 Days)*:
- The Atlanta Hawks saw strong engagement on their BHM x Prostate Cancer Foundation content, where they’re donating $250 for every assist made in February to the foundation as part of its “Black History Month Assist Challenge”
- Guitar maker Fender continued to celebrate BHM by dedicating a full week’s worth of social content to the history of funk music and the Black artists who crafted the sound
- Dessert lovers are flocking to legendary Magnolia Bakery for its banana pudding in February — all month long. Pudding profits will fund relief efforts for BIPOC-owned small businesses impacted by the pandemic.
Other companies used this as a moment in time to share corporate or product announcements:
- SheaMoisture released #MyStoryMyPower series highlighting the stories of Black men in America, as well as a multi-year $1 million commitment toward an investment fund for Black men
- Carter’s announced a new HBCU collection
- PepsiCo will replace its Aunt Jemima brand with the Pearl Milling Company in June
- Social media conversations are expected to trend in connection to Black History Month (according to Spike Newswhip analysis of the last 7 days)
- Williams-Sonoma used the month to outline steps of its Equity in Action plan to increase Black representation
Here’s a short checklist when evaluating programs for your brand. As always, it’s crucial to ensure your company is living out what you’re saying publicly.
- Have you invested in ongoing engagement and active listening with the Black community and key Black stakeholders or will this be your first time?
- How does your proposed program center, benefit or give back to the Black community?How can you extend this programming or support year-round? Is this something that can live outside of BHM?
- Are you paying Black content creators on par with their non-Black counterparts?