Racial injustice in the USA - A company perspective
Author
Bønlykke, Kimmie
Term
4. term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-31
Abstract
This thesis examines how four prominent US brands—the NFL, Procter & Gamble, NIKE, and the NBA—address racial injustice through their 2020 campaigns and assesses their broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Motivated by the post–George Floyd shift in corporate engagement with social issues, the study asks: How do US brands combat racial injustice through their campaigns, and what are their CSR performances in general? The analysis combines two CSR frameworks—Carroll’s Pyramid and Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line—to evaluate organizational commitments, and applies a semiotic approach informed by Saussure’s signifier/signified and Peirce’s icon/index/symbol to decode messages and visuals. The empirical material includes the NFL’s Inspire Change campaign (“It takes all of us”), which drew scrutiny in light of the league’s earlier handling of Colin Kaepernick, and P&G’s “The Talk,” “The Look,” and “The Choice,” which increasingly call on white audiences to practice active anti-racism. Across cases, the study finds that all four brands demonstrate strong CSR performance and rely on similar communication strategies to support racial justice, emphasizing collective action and systemic change. The thesis situates these campaigns within the broader societal context of persistent inequities and the growing expectation that brands align their words with substantive action.
Denne opgave undersøger, hvordan fire fremtrædende amerikanske brands – NFL, Procter & Gamble, NIKE og NBA – adresserer racemæssig uretfærdighed gennem kampagner fra 2020 og vurderer samtidig deres overordnede CSR-præstationer. Med afsæt i det skifte, der fulgte efter drabet på George Floyd, formuleres problemstillingen: Hvordan bekæmper amerikanske brands racemæssig ulighed gennem deres kampagner, og hvordan er deres generelle CSR-præstationer? Analysen kombinerer to CSR-rammeværk – Carrolls pyramide og Elkingtons Triple Bottom Line – for at vurdere virksomhedsindsatser, og anvender en semiotisk tilgang inspireret af Saussures signifier/signified og Peirces icon/index/symbol til at afkode budskaber og visuelle virkemidler. Empirien omfatter bl.a. NFL’s Inspire Change-kampagne (“It takes all of us”), der mødte kritik i lyset af ligaens tidligere håndtering af Colin Kaepernick, samt P&G’s “The Talk”, “The Look” og “The Choice”, der i stigende grad opfordrer især hvide amerikanere til aktiv antiracisme. På tværs af cases finder studiet, at alle fire brands udviser stærke CSR-præstationer og benytter beslægtede kommunikative strategier for at støtte racemæssig retfærdighed med fokus på fælles handling og systemisk forandring. Opgaven placerer samtidig kampagnerne i en bredere samfundskontekst, hvor vedvarende uligheder består, og hvor brands i stigende grad forventes at omsætte ord til konkrete handlinger.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]