Last Updated:
10/25/20 2:36 PM
overall rating:
keep going
HBO
Internal Representation & Support
74%
Public Commitment
59%
External Communication
62%
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
Around Juneteenth, HBO made educational content around Black Lives Matter temporarily free for all users. The company appears to be genuinely amplifying Black voices and telling Black stories, centering Black creatives, producers, and content (in various forms, including panels, series, and documentaries).
Lowlights
Part of parent company Warner Media's donation to anti-racist causes involved the dedication of "on-air inventory to Color of Change and NAACP"; thus, it is difficult to accurately quantify the total amount donated. In addition, while Warner Media is vocal about its support for Black Lives Matter, HBO's own social media platforms highlight Black artists but only in the context of promoting its own content.
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.
Looking for an equitable brand as a replacement? Click here to see our directory!
Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
14% - 15% Black, 21% - 25% BIPOC, 21% - 25% Women
Executive Leadership:
8% - 9% Black, > 40% BIPOC, 21% - 25% Women
12% - 13% Black, 36% - 40% BIPOC, 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
HBO has pledged a donation of 0.001% - 0.009% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, HBO has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, co-branded partnerships with other companies, and matching donations to a broad range of qualifying organizations. HBO is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, people living with disabilities, and Indigienous populations.
III. External Communications
HBO has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice that acknowledged that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company. However, it did not include specific calls to action or explicitly state "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 0.1% - 9% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeming performative in nature. The brand has made an effort to include ethnic diversity, specifically increasing Black representation, and has shown support of the LGBTQ+ community beyond Pride on social media, there is little to no evidence of inclusion of people living with disabilities or a wide range of models with varying body types.
