Imagine walking up to a store, one you spend tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in and being turned away? This week's brand blunder is a real-life pretty woman story features one of Bravo's boldest, most outspoken ladies, Bethany Frankel and her encounter as she de-boarded her plane and made her way to the luxurious Chanel store in Chicago.
Imagine the "audacity" [sarcasm] to arrive in comfy clothes only to be turned away. No appointment, no service being the message. What happened the next day proves to be a bit of a change in story. Dressed to the nines in Chanel, no appointment and a warm welcome granted the same star access to the elite retailer.
If this was a new brand, or one with a diverse customer base, Read: Not rich, the outpouring of support on social media would not favour the brand. If Bethany Frankel was not a privileged wealthy white woman, this would have played out differently.
When a brand profiles potential customers, it poses a huge risk. When we know more and more customers are refusing to shop brands that don't share their values, any company that shows discriminatory policies and lacks inclusivity will take a hit.
In 2020, social justice became a bigger deciding factor in brand choice. Retailers were forced to take action and make an impact in the space. It was refreshing to see commitments to supplier and employment diversity. The Me Too Movement and Black Lives Matter movement were the two human rights causes to see an influx of support. As we approach 4 years of these commitments, governments and shoppers are looking for validation of these claims. In December of last year, the The Congressional Black Caucus issued letters to corporations who made commitments to reaffirm commitments, share updates and work closely with the Caucus to close the racial wealth gap. If these businesses didn't hold up their end of the bargain, will they be held accountable? Will it make a difference?
Temporarily? absolutely.
Long term? Too soon to tell.
When building a brand, there will always be a key focus for your audience and that's okay. But what you need to ensure, is that you're doing what you say you're going to do and not excluding people based on race or ability. We can't expect that a luxury brand will build a budget friendly assortment, but discriminating against someone for looks is detrimental and just wrong.
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