How can brands avoid rainbow-washing?
REPORT
30 Jul 2019
How can brands avoid rainbow-washing?

The commercialisation of Pride Month has resulted in many businesses being called out for ‘rainbow-washing’ their products and marketing solely to boost profits. Canvas8 spoke to three experts to discover how brands can better support the LGBTQ community and authentically promote inclusivity.

Martin Smith

Martin Smith is a senior manager in technology risk at PwC, whose purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. He is an active member of the PwC Shine network and regularly acts as an LGBT+ mentor and panellist to support colleagues, friends, and clients.

Amelia Abraham

Over eight combined years as an editor at VICE, Refinery29 and Dazed, Amelia Abraham commissioned stories, managed teams, shaped branded campaigns and grew audiences. Abraham now works mainly as a freelance copywriter and brand consultant. Recent clients include Nike, Hinge, Royal Mail, Dr Martens, Lyst, and Matches Fashion. Having published two books on queer culture, Queer Intentions (Picador, 2019) and We Can Do Better Than This (Vintage, 2021), Abraham has talked about LGBTQ+ culture everywhere from Sky News to BBC Radio 4 to the Southbank Centre, and regularly delivers LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion talks for brands.

Suki Sandhu

Suki Sandhu is the founder and CEO of INvolve, a network championing diversity and inclusion in business. He launched ‘The Suki Sandhu LGBTQI Asia Fund’ to support activism in Asia, and is a Stonewall ambassador, patron for the Albert Kennedy Trust, and was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours for Services to Diversity in Business.

Megan Carnegie

Megan Carnegie is a journalist and editor. She has written for Courier, Time Out, Guardian Weekend, Creative Review, The Telegraph, Evening Standard, and more. Outside of work, she can be found reading, running, and killing off her houseplants.