Authenticity in Brand Messaging Before, After, and During Pride Month

Pride Month is here! Now comes that time of year when the logos of most brands’ social media accounts turn into a rainbow-field version, “ally” is tacked on to the end of bios, and Canva templates are used as a throwaway attempt to promote their “pride.” Queer people deserve better. It’s as simple as that. If a company's allyship means putting a rainbow filter over its logo for only 30 days of the year and instantly changing it back come July 1, then it is not true allyship, it is performative. Too often, the typical corporate response includes performative allyship as an attempt to make a few extra bucks out of queer people’s pockets.  

The Importance of Authenticity to the Queer Community

Authenticity is important amongst most consumers, but particularly to queer people. This community has been historically marginalized, set aside, and mistreated. Queer people today face countless obstacles and have been continuous victims of erasure, harassment, and mocking. In turn, authentic queer representation can create a meaningful impact on this community through establishing a sense of belonging and validation. However, true authenticity must reach beyond simple social media posts to create a significant impact.

Authenticity in Branding

Authentic queer representation can take on multiple forms, such as consulting queer people in pride campaigns or storytelling from the perspective of real queer people and their stories. The LGBTQ+ community is deeply complex, and there are infinite stories to be shared.

Listening and learning from the people you are trying to represent makes a huge difference. The complexity of the queer community can lead to accidental misrepresentation. However, a company that misses the mark, admits its mistakes, and attempts to rectify them in some way is much more respectable than a company that doubles down on its behavior and continues to make the same mistakes in the future.

Apple is one company that practices meaningful and effective allyship. Tim Cook, Apple’s openly gay CEO, has used his corporation to sell pride merchandise for causes that support queer charities. In addition, Apple also advocates on behalf of queer people and has used its influence to oppose anti-LGBT legislation across the country.

On the other end, Bud Light’s scandal with influencer Dylan Mulvaney made headlines for inauthenticity. Bud Light showed an example of an attempt at queer representation but seemingly failed due to the inauthentic nature behind it. Likely due to a lack of research, Bud Light partnered with a queer creator who did not align well with the brand. More specifically, a creator with little to no history of even drinking beer. Creating a seemingly harmless can of beer with the influencer’s face on it, which was not even available to consumers, resulted in a heap of backlash. By staying silent, Bud Light allowed what meant to be a simple collaboration to turn into a public shaming of an LGBTQ+ creator. Bud Light fell short due to the inauthentic pick of the influencer, and by abandoning Mulvaney, rather than defending their choice.

Moving Forward

As communication specialists, we don’t have all the answers, and no one expects us to. However, it is crucial to understand that while working on impactful queer-related communication plans, there needs to be a queer person at the table. As storytellers, we need to craft meaningful campaigns that truly capture messages in their most real form. 

Pride Month is an incredible celebration for queer people that calls for authenticity at its core. However, why do we feel the need to limit the warmness and representation Pride Month provides? Let’s create real, unique, and meaningful stories in our branding, in our ads, and in our everything.

Dominic is a Senior, pursuing a degree in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Digital Studies. He is currently an Account Associate with an Emphasis in Design, as well as the GVPRSSA Social Media Director for the 2024-2025 school year. Outside the classroom, Dominic enjoys writing, going on walks, photography, and spending time with friends and family. After college, Dominic hopes to travel the country and get a job relating to content creation or paid media.