Exploring the Reduction of Consumer Racial Discrimination in Brand Campaigns

In recent years, social media and popular media have been flooded with reports of well- known brands going viral after being criticized for racist advertising, as perceived by consumers. This has had a severe impact on the sales of such brands. While this is not a new phenomenon, strategies to address racism in brand marketing campaigns are lacking in scholarship and practice. A framework aimed at reducing racial discrimination in brand marketing campaigns has not yet been attempted. The aim of this research is to investigate the area which has not been studied much yet and utilize the results to create a framework that can tackle the issue of perceived racial discrimination by consumers towards a marketplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. An original contribution to knowledge can be composed by exploring the under-researched area of reducing prejudice towards consumers who experience racial discrimination in brand marketing campaigns. This is evidenced by the need for more academic writing in this field. A qualitative research strategy is applied using a systematic literature review and in-depth- interviews as sampling tools with experts in the branding and marketing field. A reflexive thematic analysis method is further applied. The results of the interviews reveal a concerning issue within the brand and marketing industry. It appears that many professionals have not received sufficient training or education in diversity and inclusivity in marketing, and worse yet, this issue is not being addressed in the workplace. This finding supports recent research indicating that higher education lacks transformative pedagogical adaptation, which only heightens the urgency of this matter. There is a significant lack of strategic leadership and brand decisions regarding social movements. This work-in-progress paper provides a vignette of a relevant and yet under-researched topic, which concerns the approaches of brand practitioners in addressing consumer racial discrimination in brand marketing campaigns. Even though there is evidence of continuous discrimination against certain consumer groups, the theory in marketing and brand management literature regarding this issue is lacking, notwithstanding the social value that brands carry in the twenty-first century.