Page 23 - dissertation flip book

SOCIETAL ISSUES AND BRAND STANCES
“Fashion only very rarely deals with anything head on.”
Dr Szmigin (2020). A PR Professional explains how they attempt to stay out of situations that are “controversial” as at times it can get very “political” and that overall they don’t agree that it is “a brands place to come in and comment
on a lot of things.” With the current climate this can be illustrated by Dr Szmigin who explains how “people will want an escape from the pandemic as they are facing it head on every day.” (2020)
Conflicting this view is the idea that “sometimes it is the elephant in the room and if you ignore it, it really reflects badly” PR Professional 1(2020). There is a lot of evidence to argue that this is the case when it comes to the COVID 19 pandemic as it is undeniably present in day to day life. As a high street brand you have a presence with bricks and mortar stores making it hard to distract from the pandemic
due to one way systems around shops and masks. It is argued by a PR Professional from a major high street brand that it is too “life changing for everyone not to comment on” and that if you choose not to you loose that “relatability.” (2020)
The Business of Fashion podcast argues that people in retail are in a positive position to push for “benevolence.” (2020) Although it may not always be profitable for the brands to do so as they may be seen by consumers as jumping into conversations “where they don’t belong” Matchfire (2018), on a human and moral level it is the right thing to do overall. This is argued extensively by Bivins in his Mixed Media book where he states that businesses “should be encouraged to take on larger societal issues.” As Bivins’ book was written in 2003 it shows that the idea of brands being more opinionated about the current issues is not a new concept,
however since then it can be argued that it has become more important with phrases being commonly used in the Black Lives Matter movement such as “silence is violence” Global Integrity (2020).
More recently Christiane Amanpour reiterated that there are some situations that you cannot be neutral about because when you are neutral you are an “accomplice.” This is important for PR Professionals to take into account as the easier option may be taking the sideline so as not to upset, however it does not mean it is always the right answer. This point was further confirmed by therapist Laura Portsmouth (2020), “It is most important that as many brands and businesses address the various impacts the pandemic will continue to have on peoples’ mental health.”