‘Exactly how much virtue do you really want to signal?’

Messages from the archive of Rutherford Hall, critical communications strategist

To Stephen: Do you think we got Pride month right? I wonder if we’ve been a bit underpowered. Aside from the moral case, I notice how many of the firms we’d want as clients are going big on logos and flags. Do we need to turn up the volume?

Rutherford Hall

How is your Pride Month going? As someone old enough to remember Section 28 and the awful bigotry of the recent past, I find this month uplifting and inspiring. The sight of rainbow motifs everywhere is a reminder of how far we have come. Sure, some of it is just rainbow-washing but it is still just lovely to see. Support for Pride may now be unthinking but in a way that’s good. Society’s norms are shifting. But the fight for justice is not over. We can always do better. We can always be better.

From: rutherford@monkwellstrategy

To: Tim01@genericbiz.com

Tim, the key question is how much virtue do you really want to signal? I’m not knocking virtue signalling. Would you rather signal a vice? But LGBTQ+ rights is a hot issue and so when judging your Pride month approach, you need to know what expectations lie at the other end of the rainbow. So are you showing you really stand with the LGBTQ+ community in its battles? Are you running scared of your younger staff? Or do you just want your clients and customers to know you are nice? The keyword is allyship. So be clear what kind of ally you really want to be.

Because this is not ESG, where you can just rebrand an open cast mine as green coal and get a loan from a bank looking to pad out its environmental portfolio. People, especially your staff, will actually hold you to account for your commitments. You can’t fly a trans flag and invite JK Rowling to your annual dinner — unless she’s the main course. So be sure what message you want to send.

For any big business like yours, doing nothing is no longer an option. But ask yourself, do you want to give diplomatic backing, financial assistance or military support?

So, as Starbucks would say, do you want your support to be Pride Large, Grande or Venti? There is a standard entry package; the rainbow motif in the foyer, a logo on your Facebook page, an email to staff on how proud you are to be supporting Pride, maybe a couple of donations. Wearing a rainbow lapel pin does not overcommit you. Not many people wearing Ukraine pins are heading off to relieve Mariupol. Invite the staff to use pronouns on email signoffs. It costs nothing.

The next level may be inviting guest speakers to show you are really engaging with the issues and drawing up inclusion policies.

Know your flags. The old rainbow flag is the entry level. If you fly the newer Progress flag (with the trans and people of colour chevrons) you are Pride Venti and will be seen as committing to the front line of the current LGBTQ+ battles.

This may seem an easy call if your clients, staff and customers are young and liberal. But you will be judged against your actions. People will scrutinise your clients and suppliers. You may come under pressure to stop trading with repressive regimes like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria or Wyoming.

All I’m saying here is pick the level you are happy to live up to.

Rutherford

Find me on Strava, King of the Mountain, Sydenham Hill, PR Horniman Loop 11m 49s.

To Stephen: the more I think about this the more I think we need to up our game for both moral and commercial reasons. Rivals are much more visible in the Pride space. Is it worth a little working group with some younger staff? I know Jules has strong views. I’m training for the Brighton run this week, but will get on it after that.

To Stephen: You are right. It will be a much bigger deal if we form a group and then don’t take its advice. I want us to be committed to the right side; to be seen to be committed on the right side but not so committed that we outsource our HR function to Stonewall.

From: rutherford@monkwellstrategy

To: all@monkwell

I hope you’re having a good Pride month. Stephen and I have been reflecting that we want to do more to show our allyship. To that end, we will be drawing up a new policy on inclusion and planning a stronger Pride response for next year. Do send over any thoughts on this. We’re also running some breakfast meetings to mark the end of Pride month (speakers listed below). Invite your clients or prospects. We’d love to see them. Meanwhile, I’m doing a sponsored cycle to Brighton for London Friend — here’s the link. Please spread the word.

Rutherford

He/him

Find me on Strava, King of the Mountain, Sydenham Hill, PR Horniman Loop 11m 49s.

Messages recovered by Robert Shrimsley