Marketers naturally seek creative inspiration from an array of trends, cultural moments and media. And in our digitally-connected world, we can experience diverse cultures, customs and communities without looking up from our phones.
As a result, marketers have many opportunities to create culturally relevant content and tap into rising social trends. But when marketers take advantage of elements of a culture without their brand first earning credibility in that community, they risk crossing the line into cultural appropriation.
What is cultural appropriation?
The term cultural appropriation, coined in the 1980s, is “used to describe the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group” in a way that does not recognize their origin, meaning and true value.
Native American headdresses at Fashion Week, box braids on white women and whitewashed Mahjong tiles are more glaring examples of cultural appropriation. More nuanced examples have come from marketers misusing and misunderstanding memes, GIFs, slang and other language choices. For instance, words like “periodt,” “sis,” and “woke” come from African American English Vernacular (AAVE). “Throwing shade” is rooted in drag and ball culture. “Spirit animals” and “tribes” are uniquely tied to Native American culture and spiritualism. And yet we often see these terms slapped on marketing content and branded products, with no recognition of or sensitivity to their origins.
Hey non-Black people, especially white folks. I have a big new flash. AAVE is NOT stan/internet/meme language ya'll TAKE. IT. from us Black folks on the internet. I cannot even count how many memes and slang came out of Black twitter/internet that were quickly stolen.
— ✨Sailor Scout Austin✨🔜MC Chicago (@sailorsctaustin) July 31, 2020
