Massive Nationwide Protests Are Not The Time To Push Your Brand

Civil unrest is NOT a branding opportunity, writes Eric Dezenhall for Business Insider, especially in the wake of tragedy.  Corporations that believe self-serving opinion research risk angering multiple constituencies.  Recall the 2017 Pepsi ad featuring Kendall Jenner, where she hands a cop a Pepsi while being cheered on. The commercial was pulled as it was seen to trivialize the Black Lives Matter movement. When should a company speak? There are two guiding principles, according to Dezenhall, and corporate executives should always be mindful of the differences between sincerity and pandering.

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