Beyond the little black box: How brands are using their values to respond to racial injustice

Security

Security-seeking brands had a strong moment during Covid-19, as many of their products were heralded as necessary lines of defense against a pervasive virus. However, when the national conversation shifted to topics of systemic racism and Black Lives Matter, these same companies had little to nothing to say about the matter, electing to keep their focus on Coronavirus, or straightforward brand messaging. That being said, more tech-aligned brands like Pinterest or Etsy made space on their home pages to promote Black Lives Matter information and Black-owned businesses. These actions connect to a through line of proactive responses across the aisle of companies in the digital industry, rather than down the column of those geared towards Security-seeking customers, however.