{"id":85819,"date":"2022-06-15T07:00:39","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T07:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rockcontent.com\/?p=85819"},"modified":"2025-09-18T23:23:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T02:23:13","slug":"what-is-rainbow-washing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pingback.com\/en\/resources\/what-is-rainbow-washing\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Rainbow Washing? And Why You Should Prevent It During Pride Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every time June (Pride Month<\/a>) comes around, lots and lots of brands change their logo to a \u201crainbowed\u201d version as if it were a competition. But is this practice really effective for their image? And, more importantly, is this really helping the LGBTQIA+ Community? Let’s answer the question and reflect on that for a second.<\/p>\n

Being diverse is not just a whim from brands. As we have evolved as a society, we figured out how the world is full of inequities. Today, many organizations and countries are working to reduce these problems. It is not a coincidence that the United Nations (UN) has chosen gender equality and reduced inequality as one of the new goals for sustainable development<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When we talk about the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community, representation in the media is something very common nowadays. As a consequence, brands can feel forced to reflect this reality in their communication. You know, everybody wants to be \u201ctrendy\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, these attempts to look or appear more \u201cdiverse\u201d or \u201cinclusive\u201d can fall on the superficiality and even simplify the difficulties. When this phenomenon happens, the LGBTQIA+ community call it \u201cRainbow Washing<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cPinkwashing,<\/strong>\u201d an issue that companies should seek to avoid.<\/p>\n

What is rainbow washing?<\/h2>\n

First, let’s get to know what Rainbow Washing is. As defined by ThisIsGendered<\/a>, it refers to <\/strong>the act of using or adding rainbow colors and\/or imagery to advertising, apparel, accessories, landmarks, et cetera, in order to indicate progressive support for LGBTQIA+ equality (and earn consumer credibility) \u2013 but with a minimum of effort or pragmatic result.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n

In this line of ideas, it is simple to see how a large number of brands make changes to their logo during the Pride Month.  <\/p>\n

Nonetheless, the decision to alter branding resources is not done randomly. In theory, changing central branding devices can help people to remember the traditional logo more easily.<\/p>\n

But when everyone does it, all the time, often for the same reason, and over the exact same period, is the effect still so impressive? Will anyone even notice anymore, given every other brand has the same rainbow hue?<\/p>\n

An example of rainbow washing<\/h2>\n

A very polemic case of rainbow washing happened with Barilla, a multinational food company. Everything started back in 2013 when the CEO, Guido Barilla, said in a live interview <\/a>that he would never make a commercial with a homosexual family<\/em>. Obviously, the comment caused global outrage, generating the hashtag #boycotbarilla.<\/p>\n

The crisis was a catalyst for talking about Diversity and Inclusion, and it took almost five years to clean the company’s reputation. However, the criticism from the LGBTQIA+ community is still there. Barilla is still accused of pink washing<\/a>. After the homophobic comments of their CEO, adding a rainbow to the package is not enough to show solidarity with the community. <\/p>\n

This cautionary tale teaches us that if we really want to enter the \u201cLGBTQIA+ friendly wave\u201d we have to make sure to do it with the right intentions.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s think. Why do brands choose to show themselves as diverse?<\/h2>\n

Younger generations are more aware of some of the world’s problems. Thus, they are more willing to support more altruistic causes. And that is how diversity and inclusion have become one of the main interests of these new generations. For example, according to Deloitte<\/a>, 83% of millennials are more engaged when they think their company fosters an inclusive culture.<\/p>\n

As no one wants to stay behind, the decision-makers of big enterprises are looking for ways to meet the rising expectations of the general audience. Sometimes, they take a good approach and other times they do not.<\/p>\n

For example, in a survey conducted by Adobe<\/a>, 38% of respondents said they were more likely to consume products and services from brands that show diversity in their ads. Moreover, 34% have boycotted a company at least once because they don’t feel their identities were represented in the companies\u2019 actions.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you see brands posting a rainbow logo on social media in June, and then going totally silent when it comes to real advocacy or policy changes the rest of the year. People notice that. It might get a brief thumbs-up online, but when there\u2019s no follow through\u2014like nothing in hiring practices or actual support for LGBTQIA+ causes\u2014folks can get pretty cynical. You get one chance to be authentic before that \u201crainbow\u201d gesture starts to look more like a cheap marketing ploy.<\/p>\n

Also, it is important to know that being inclusive has become something that has a positive impact on companies. According to McKinsey<\/a>, companies in the top quartile of gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their national industry median. Companies in the top quartile of racial\/ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their national industry median. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s also this odd tension: most people want to see diversity represented truthfully, but they\u2019re immediately suspicious when it feels forced or like someone in a boardroom is ticking boxes. Authentic inclusion isn\u2019t just about who shows up in the next ad campaign. It\u2019s about who\u2019s in the conference room, who gets a seat at the table, and whether those perspectives actually shape a company\u2019s direction. It\u2019s subtle, but the difference gets noticed\u2014eventually, the truth cuts through the PR gloss.<\/p>\n

Diversity done right <\/h2>\n

Luckily, we can still see some good examples of how to be truly diverse. Adobe has launched an initiative that compasses its own company culture, hiring diverse talent from a great variety of backgrounds. They also participate in forums, conferences and donate to fundraising activities.<\/p>\n

One of their greatest initiatives was Adobe For All Summit<\/a> launched in 2019. The approach of the event was to share best practices and updates about diversity and inclusion strategic progress.      <\/strong><\/p>\n

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