True Colours or Rainbow-Washing Exposed!? – Company Pride in and through Digital and Social Media Reviewed
Following a noble cause can function as a basis for valuable marketing. Apart from the fact that selling products also belongs to this scheme, companies must individualise and re-create these products constantly. In this process, many companies seek great motivation in using the rainbow flag or the...
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| Udgivet i: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/ilcea, |
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| Hovedforfatter: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprog: | Anglais |
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ILCEA
2023
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| Fag: | |
| Online adgang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Summary: | Following a noble cause can function as a basis for valuable marketing. Apart from the fact that selling products also belongs to this scheme, companies must individualise and re-create these products constantly. In this process, many companies seek great motivation in using the rainbow flag or the rainbow colours, especially around June—traditionally celebrated as Pride month—to promote and sell their products to customers who (like to) identify with these goods. However, lately, companies are also questioned about their genuine inclination toward causes connected to these colours as customers desire to know how far the product reflects the general support of the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and beyond) community. This paper analyses therefore a selected number of random samples in a preliminary study using hashtags by companies as well as individuals on Instagram and written statements from companies’ social media accounts and websites as a basis. Through their approach, the author aims to show how rainbow-washing is detected, communicated and criticised as customers become more aware of the difference between potential marketing traps and genuine support. As the results of this preliminary study have so far indicated, customers develop more awareness and also communicate positive as well as negative changes in cooperative behaviour. Through this article’s limited approach and frame, merely impulses can be given to research the topic within a broader corpus linguistic frame. |
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