food rage

I will be exploring how Dunkin’ participated in the Black Lives Matter movement, and if/how they continue to commit to their values. In 2020, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis and companies reacted in a new way, one we hadn’t seen before. There was a sense of responsibility to everyone who had a platform to speak out against racial injustice. Companies released statements, made informative posts, donated to charities, etc… This is called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

In June of 2020, Dunkin’ released a blogpost, a letter from the CEO, that said “The disruption we are seeing across our country in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd is a stark reminder that we have a responsibility to oppose racism, hatred, and injustice in all its forms”

The word “responsibility” stands out to me because that word was so important in the 2020 BLM movement. Further along in the letter, CEO Dave Hoffmann mentions the relationship between the NAACP and Dunkin’ brands. There is no mention to what that relationship is, but after that sentence, Hoffmann offers resources for feedback.

Dunkin’ seemed to have taken the safe route back in 2020. After looking at the Dunkin’ Joy 2020 Financial Report, they did not give any major donations to BLM charities. It is not their responsibility to donate, yet its harder to believe in the commitment Dunkin’ said they made.

Looking further on the Dunkin’ newsroom, there are plenty of articles and press releases regarding donations to other charities. They are usually centered around topics like childhood hunger or childhood illness. I believe Dunkin has a commitment for social change, but they already have set impact groups.

Because Dunkin’ released the letter from the CEO, they entered themselves into a conversation that they really hadn’t been apart of. In 2015, Dunkin’ fired an employee for writing “Black Lives Matter” on a cop’s coffee. It makes Dunkin’ look less authentic in their commitment to taking “responsibility” when these are the only two times they have spoken about the Black Lives Matter movement.

A common mistake made by companies in 2020 was not sticking to their promises. Dunkin’ broke their promise by never following up about hearing from diverse voices. A commitment to change would have follow-up, and that is not present on the Dunkin’ website. They used their words with no actions.

Corporate Social Responsibility changed forever in 2020. I think companies learned a lot of lessons. It is inauthentic and feels performative to say you care, and not show it. Actions speak louder than words, and I hope that in the future more companies will commit to actual change, rather than just saying they want to.