How PR pros and brand managers can counter ‘cancel culture’ with influencers

When it comes to the term “cancel culture,” PR pros might be tempted to steer clear of what’s become a loaded phrase.

However, experts on a recent member call for the PR Daily Leadership Network made their point clear: Communicators can’t avoid the phenomenon of social media and “cancellation.”

“I know it spurs a lot of debate,” says Brandi Boatner, manager of digital and advocacy communications for IBM. However, she argues that the concept of “cancel culture” is nothing new.

“It’s amazing how history repeats itself,” she says.

To see parallels for how cancel culture works in today’s society, you can revisit boycotts during the civil rights movements of the ‘60s in the U.S. Boycotting a business or using financial power to push for change was a popular tactic for leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., who famously organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.

What’s changed about how cancel culture works today, Boatner says, is how it’s fueled by social media.

“No one is safe,” warns Boatner. “To cancel or be cancelled, that is the question.”

Of course, there are real costs to being cancelled. Boatner cites the “Great Resignation” and the trouble many organizations face in retaining crucial employees.