Last Updated:
11/8/20 9:37 AM
overall rating:
undertones approved
Coca-Cola
Internal Representation & Support
75%
Public Commitment
59%
External Communication
89%
To evaluate this pillar, we take into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- Employee representation
- Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI)
We weigh a company’s degree of public commitment primarily on their monetary contributions to DEI matters or organizations fighting racial injustice.
Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
In a public statement made in June, Coca-Cola highlighted racist claims against them in the past not sugarcoating their public perception while addressing specific actions they were taking to do better. Sprite, a subsidiary, also announced a collaboration with 5 hip hop artists to support communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and racial inequality. “The Give Back” will amplify Black voices/help drive change, starting in the Atlanta area. Additionally, almost all of Coca-Cola's social media posts since June (though no posts from July-Sept) are in regards to social justice issues.
Lowlights
Coca-Cola's social media pause seems to have good intentions but could effectively be considered a cop-out. Rather than using their platform to really drive change and send a message to customers, Coca-Cola has stayed silent from June thru September (perhaps out of fear of seeming performative?). If they wanted to, Coca-Cola could use even a fraction of their revenue to pay Black creators or consultants to immediately help them outline steps toward effective change and how to leverage their social following for good.
We scour the company’s website and official social media channels to determine what message they are sending around racial injustice, how they are communicating it, and whether their communications are perceived as genuine or performative.
Public statement: We verify that companies have made a formal statement regarding racial injustice.
Social media: We consider how a company uses their platform(s) beyond performative allyship.
Representation: For companies that have the opportunity to showcase diversity in their feed, we consider whether they have adequate Black representation and BIPOC representation across their models.
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Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
> 15% Black, 31% - 35% BIPOC, 36% - 40% Women
Executive Leadership:
10% - 11% Black, 36% - 40% BIPOC, 26% - 30% Women
> 15% Black, 46% - 50% Women
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization, A Black employee resource group
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
Coca-Cola has pledged a donation of 0.001% - 0.009% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, Coca-Cola has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, sponsorship of individuals who use their platform to speak out on racial injustice, and matching donations to a broad range of qualifying organizations. Coca-Cola is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and people living with disabilities.
III. External Communications
Coca-Cola has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice The public statement acknowledged that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company, included specific calls to action, and explicitly stated "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 71% - 80% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeking to continue the momentum of BLM. While the brand does not feature models regularly in their social media posts, they have shown support of the LGBTQ+ community beyond Pride on social media but there is little to no evidence of inclusivity towards other marginalized communities.
