Three Keys to Running an Effective Social Justice Campaign
- Neeve Prendergast
- Nov 14, 2019
- 4 min read
On the surface, an ice cream brand and a social justice do not have a lot in common. Ice cream is a sweet treat savored by all. Social justice issues often make people uncomfortable, even squirm, to speak on the issues ingrained within society. In an attempt to break the barrier on criminal justice reform, Advancement Project has partnered with Ben & Jerry’s to create a limited-time ice cream flavor, Justice Remix’d.
This past week, I had the honor to attend an event sponsored by Syracuse University’s Public Relations Student Society of America that featured Cedric Brown, Digital Campaign Strategist at Advancement Project and Sean Greenwood, Vice President of Public Relations and Communications at Ben & Jerry’s. As I was sitting in the audience eating my cup of Justice Remix’d, I began to wonder how both Ben & Jerry’s and Advancement Project were able to express such a complicated and controversial topic into an ice cream flavor. However, Justice Remix’d is more than just an ice cream flavor. It doubles as a campaign to advocate for criminal justice reform. The flavor itself is a metaphor for the issues, with the cinnamon and chocolate ice cream representing the mix of people within our nation, while the cinnamon bun dough and spicy brownie bits symbolize the kick we all need to have to fight for our rights. According to Brown and Greenwood, the campaign has gotten over 300 million impressions since its launch, showing how successful the partnership has been. Justice Remix’d exemplifies the keys to running a successful campaign, merging social justice with mainstream popular culture. Let’s take a deeper look into the three components that have contributed to its success.
1. Prioritize integrity
The most important aspect of running a social-based campaign is choosing a cause your company feels passionately about. According to a University of Northern Iowa study, 85% of Gen Z is attracted to brands that address social issues. Since its conception in 1978, Ben & Jerry’s has been a values-based organization, with a social of improving the quality of life for all members of society locally, nationally and internationally. Since 2016, Ben & Jerry’s has been highlighting the myriad of racial issues within our country, previously partnering with Color of Change and the North Carolina NAACP on flavor campaigns. Greenberg states that instead of fearing and running from controversy, Ben & Jerry’s has tackled issues head on that the brand feels passionate about and align with its values. Advancement Project was able to find an established organization with integrity and commitment to reform to promote and spread its message to a new audience to bring awareness to criminal justice reform. Through its cause-driven mission and marketing, Ben & Jerry’s has increased brand loyalty abiding by its integrity about justice issues.
2. Capitalize on all exposure opportunities
Going out for an ice cream is an extremely social and interactive experience. However, with the rise of social media, it takes the average consumer seven times to hear a brand’s message before buying a product. Using both face-to-face and digital marketing strategy, Ben & Jerry’s and Advancement Project launched an exposure campaign, promoting both the ice cream and its cause. Ben & Jerry’s has used its Scoop Shops to expose customers to the actual flavor, along with information about the Advancement Project in the form of billboards and flyers. Aside from promotion at Scoop Shops, Ben & Jerry’s deployed Scoop Trucks stocked with the flavor to various cities across the United States to bring awareness of criminal justice reform directly to consumers. This unique tactic allows both parties to engage community members in dialogues on the issues, while also providing samples of the flavor. On social media, both parties ran dynamic campaigns by producing eye-catching content that also drove followers to share posts, creating another lane of exposure. Relying mostly on Instagram, Ben & Jerry’s teased its audience by alluding to the launch of a new flavor and continue to curate posts about the flavor. Following the first release, it ran a promotion in the form of enticing visuals and informative videos. This content, along with the tastiness of the ice cream itself led to word of mouth exposure, creating more contact points for potential buyers. In the end, ice cream really does allow difficult, yet crucial conversations run more smoothly.
3. Secure celebrity endorsement
Let’s be real, with a face like Jesse Williams, you can promote almost anything. Williams currently sits on the Board of Directors for Advancement Project and uses his platform in the public eye to bring awareness of racial injustice. In 2016, Williams made headlines with his passionate anti-racism speech during the BET Awards, linking him to social justice. With the launch of Justice Remix’d, Advancement Project produced a video of Williams promoting the flavor and the efforts of the organization, using his power as an influencer. Numerous studies have shown that buyers are more likely to purchase a product if it is endorsed by a trusted public figure. In the video, Williams speaks to his own experience with racism and criminal justice issues, humanizing the issues the flavor represents. Fans of the actor will be inspired to both buy the flavor and further research the work of Advancement Project. With 5.5 million Instagram followers, Williams has used his personal social media to spread the message and promote the organization’s work. Regardless of what issue you are promoting, having a respected public figure attracted to your cause will only increase exposure and conversation.
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