Juneteenth 2023: What Should My Brand Do?
With over half of Black Americans celebrating Juneteenth, brands will want to make their mark on this important holiday.
Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19th. The holiday commemorates the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19th, 1865, which marked the official abolition of slavery in the United States. It was made a federal holiday in the United States on June 17th, 2021, under President Joe Biden’s office.
According to a recent Collage survey, 60 percent of Black Americans report celebrating this holiday; an increase of 18 percentage points since Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. Celebration rates have risen substantially across race and ethnicity, with 20% of all Americans saying they celebrate Juneteenth, compared to only 10% in 2021.
Americans celebrate Juneteenth in a variety of ways and learning more about Black history and culture tops the list. Black Americans are particularly likely to celebrate this holiday by supporting Black-owned businesses and attending events celebrating Black culture, like a parade or festival. But how do Americans feel about brands including Juneteenth in their marketing and advertising?
Generally, positively. A plurality of Black Americans – 41 percent – say that all brands and companies should celebrate Juneteenth. Across segments, only 8 percent of Americans say brands should never activate on Juneteenth. Many Americans simply don’t care whether brands activate on this holiday; however, the Black and Hispanic segments are least likely to not care.
When it comes to how companies engage with this holiday, Americans are most interested in brands and companies helping to explain the holiday’s meaning and importance. Black Americans, however, are open to a variety of ways brands can celebrate the holiday.
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To learn more about Juneteenth, we suggest the following sources: