What to know

An ally is someone who makes a committed effort to understand and recognize their own privilege — whether related to gender identity, class, race or ethnicity, sexual identity, or other characteristics — and actively collaborates with historically underrepresented groups to achieve social justice for all. Allies understand that it is in everyone’s interest, including their own, for all forms of oppression to end, even those they may personally benefit from. An ally acknowledges oppression and actively commits to reducing their own complicity, investing in strengthening their knowledge and awareness of oppression.

A brand being an ally means making a genuine commitment to elevate the voices of historically underrepresented populations throughout the entire life cycle of campaigns.   

On the other hand, performative allyship is the practice of using public gestures, such as words, posts, and demonstrations, that appear to support a particular group or cause but actually do more to promote an individual’s or brand’s own interests. In some scenarios, performative allyship can directly hinder the work of activists and movements. At best, it maintains the status quo; at worst, it diverts attention and resources away from movements and may contribute to eroding trust in those movements. 

The word ally may not resonate with or feel sufficient to all communities or individuals. As with all other terms presented here, it’s important to do the work to get clear on how the individuals in your target segment relate to the term.

Additional resources

• A guide to becoming a better ally (Harvard Business Review)
• Why Authentic Marketing Is Crucial for Corporate DEI commitments (Forbes)