I scream, you scream, everyone screamed at Walmart for its new flavour of ice cream.
Walmart's latest product didn’t go over as expected — In response to widespread social media backlash, the retail giant has pulled an ice cream flavour from its shelves that was meant to celebrate Juneteenth.
The red velvet ice cream was part of Walmart's special edition commemorating June 19th, which recognizes the official end of slavery and the celebration of Black culture.
Despite the Juneteeth flag being red, white, and blue, images shared on social media showed the ice cream container displaying pan African colours. The container also featured an image of Black hands doing a high five and a label that said “Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation and enduring hope.”
The response to the rollout of the ice cream showed that many thought Walmart trivialized Juneteenth by commercializing it, while others accused the retailer of cultural appropriation.
As a result, Walmart issued an apology and said it will “remove items as appropriate.”
“This is why it's important to hire diverse perspectives,” tweeted one user, and they have a point.
Paralyzed by Fear
It's a delicate balancing act, for sure, and for many brands — a tough one to manage.
A recent study found that while seven out of ten brands plan to highlight greater diversity in their campaigns over the next year, many blame a lack of expertise, knowledge and talent for holding them back.
According to the report, two out of three marketers claim that fear of “getting it wrong” keeps them from creating content that better reflects real society.
While nearly half of marketers said a lack of experience in portraying diverse communities was the next biggest obstacle, followed by a lack of diverse talent in agency or brand teams.
The study was conducted by Unstereotype Alliance, a UN organization that seeks to eradicate harmful stereotypes in all marketing and advertising content.
Yesterday, the organization launched a five-part YouTube series called “Conversations for Change” to help your brand dismantle these barriers.
Each episode covers a variety of topics including;
- Cultural nuance
- Lived experiences, and
- Authentic representation in ads
