Brands must be braver to contribute towards positive global change

“US citizens are uncomfortable with the current state of the politics in the US today,” she said. “It is an incredibly divisive climate. People are tired of the hate being spewed on either side and one of the reasons I came to SS+K is because I want to be a part of the change. When brands come to us, they know that we’re about affecting change. We apply the principles of politics to everyday brand business problems and use creative ways to engage consumers. We’re going to move the brand needle and drive ROI, but we’re going to do it in the most productive fashion.”

Bellan-White is not a lone voice in speaking out about how brands are failing to be brave in speaking out against unacceptable behavior in modern UK and US society, suggesting they want to; they just don’t quite know how.

“Many of the clients that we work with are saying, ‘I want to be part of the solution. I cannot be out in front personally. But can you help me get a message out?’” she said. “There are always going to be some brands that believe they have the right to go out front. They have their own reasons for doing it. We work with brands that influence from behind. There is a saying that you can lead from the front and lead from behind. I believe that brands can lead from behind in the policies that they have, in how they create a level of stability in society, so that consumers can have a level of confidence.”

Bellan-White goes on to talk candidly about her experiences working as a woman of color in the marketing sector in multiple countries and cultures and says that the battle towards creating the types of inclusive workforces where real societal ‘change’ can happen is an ongoing challenge.

“This issue of creating the most inclusive workforce is a debate that has been around for decades. I’ve been in the industry for over 30 years and, often, I’ve been the only person of color in the room. And being a woman, that’s probably even worse. There was a time many years ago when I thought I couldn’t do this. It’s too hard. I once had a mentor say to me, ‘If you throw in the towel now, given what I see to be as someone who’s particularly gifted, they win, so don’t let them win.’ So, you get up and fight and you be excellent and you continue to drive change and you stand on your record and you be the person others can look up to.”

About the ongoing US election battle between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Bellan-White believes that Harris has emerged in the nick of time to stand for the type of change young US voters want to support.

She says: “Part of why Kamala has got the support she has is because people are saying we’re not going to stand for this negative rhetoric. We’re not going to walk back the clock on civil rights. We’re not going to stand for an anti-foreign policy agenda; we’re going to actually stand for the future. We’re going to stand for growth. We’re going to stand for investing in our democracy and the future and being an example that others can follow. That only started when Kamala started to gain traction. People realized it’s not about Biden or Kamala or Trump; it’s about us taking back the responsibility ourselves and being responsible citizens. Now what’s happening to the US – you have young people coming out and they’re like, ‘You know what? I don’t like this trajectory either, so I’m going to be part of the change.’”