An analysis of Instagram posts by Fortune 500 companies after George Floyd’s murder found that customers were skeptical of those who waited too long to make a statement.
July 01, 2024
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Companies and their leaders face new pressures to make public statements about controversial and sometimes divisive social and political issues. New research shows that timing matters: consumers perceive a relationship between speed and authenticity, and discount statements from companies that wait too long to respond. Leaders can use four questions to understand when and how they should shape their response.
In the wake of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police officers in 2020, individuals began protesting racial injustice both in person and online. But it wasn’t just individuals — many well-known companies in corporate America seemed to publicly align themselves with protestors, rather than staying silent or neutral.
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Alison Wood Brooks is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
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Jimin Nam is a doctoral candidate in marketing at Harvard Business School.
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Maya Balakrishnan is a doctoral candidate in technology and operations management at Harvard Business School.
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Julian De Freitas is an assistant professor in the marketing unit at Harvard Business School.
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