Juneteenth (representing June 19, 1865) was recently declared a federal holiday. The holiday acknowledges the end of slavery in the United States. In response to substantial recent social movements addressing systemic racism and racial injustice, many companies began recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday, providing paid time off or holiday pay. However, although companies were quick to acknowledge Juneteenth as a holiday, many brands are not sure about if and how to recognize and celebrate the historic event. Fawn Weaver, the first woman and first Black American to establish a major spirits brand in the United States, was acknowledged when she selected Juneteenth for the grand reopening of the Nearest Green Whiskey distillery. The brand is named after the enslaved man who originally taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, and Juneteenth is clearly connected with the brand’s founding values. Similarly, Amazon earned accolades for its Juneteenth launch of a Black Business Accelerator to support Black-owned, third-party sellers on its site. And Twitter’s Juneteenth employee donation-matching program, which allocated funds to nonprofits that were fighting for racial justice, also earned praise. In contrast, Old Navy was criticized for its attempts to get Black influencers to purchase Juneteenth T-shirts. Whereas consumers may be willing to pay more for brands that take a stand, they may also be cynical and lose trust in brands that commercialize Juneteenth or do not follow up promises with actions. Thus, brands that promote the Juneteenth holiday without careful thought and follow-through risk undermining their social message and harming their brand equity.

If you were a brand manager for Toyota’s Camry line, would you use your brand platforms to promote Juneteenth? Why or why not? If so, how?