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1、How sports brands can take a stand on socialEuro 2020OlympicsJune 21DateEngland Racism ControversyLauren Hubbard Controversy525%increase60%increaseJuly 21August 21September 21CONTENTSSection 10 STRATEGIES TO COMBAT HATE AROUND GENDER&SEXUAL IDENTITY AT THE PARIS GAMES AND BEYONDSection 3 LOOKING AHE

2、AD TO EURO 2024 AND RACISMSection 11 ADAPTING THREE-STEP GUIDANCE FOR BRAND COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT ACROSS SENSITIVE ISSUESSection 4 HOW HAS RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CHANGED IN THE PAST FEW YEARSSection 12 CHEAT SHEETSection 5 WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE CHANGE AT EURO 2024Section 13 WHAT THE PLATFORMS SAY WHEN

3、 IT COMES TO CONTENT MODERATIONSection 14 ABOUT WE ARE SOCIAL SPORTSection 6 HOW BRANDS CAN ADDRESS RACIAL ABUSE AT EURO 2024 AND BEYONDSection 7 ANTICIPATING DISCRIMINATION ON GENDER&SEXUAL IDENTITY AT THE PARIS GAMESSection 9 WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE CHANGE AT THE PARIS OLYMPICS/PARALYMPICSSection 2

4、WHY WE HAVE WRITTEN THIS REPORT AND CHOSEN THESE SUBJECTSSection 8 EVOLUTION OF DISCOURSE ON GENDER&SEXUAL IDENTITY IN RECENT YEARSSection 1 WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT 2How sports brands can take a stand on socialWHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT?A focus on how sports brands can tackle online hat

5、e when it manifests in the form of racial discrimination,or discrimination around gender&sexual identitySection 1When we created our original Braving the Backlash report back in 2018,hate on social media was a growing problem.Since then,it has only grown and mutated further,making it increasingly di

6、fficult for brands to stand up to hate online.Marginalised communities often feel attacked and unsupported by brands who are quick to include them in advertising campaigns,but ignore the abuse they receive online.Often,this is because brands dont know how to support affected communities and fear the

7、 backlash if they stand up to hate.But brands are powerful,influential,and can lead change on social media if they choose to help turn the tide of online hate.We are here to help them do exactly that.In this report,we will cover two key issues that are likely to result in online hate:racial discrimi

8、nation,and discrimination on the grounds of sexuality or gender identity.These conversations are sadly pervasive in sport and spike on social media during major sporting occasions.The report examines these topics through the lens of two major sporting events this summer:UEFA Euro 2024 and the Paris

9、Olympics/Paralympics.These issues are not exclusive to these events,but based on previous years,we expect to see a spike in racism at Euro 2024 and in gender discrimination at the Paris Games.We have broken down how the online discourse around these issues has changed over time,what we expect to see

10、 this summer,and what steps brands can take to tackle online hate around these issues during this years events and beyond.This report includes takeaways for brands rooted in expert guidance from the leading voices on these issues;we consulted with Troy Townsend MBE,Head of Player Engagement at Kick

11、It Out,Liz Ward,Global Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and former Director of Programmes at Stonewall,and Aby Hawker,CEO of TransMission PR(a communications consultancy that specialises in trans and non-binary inclusion and awareness).We know that the hate brands receive on their social pages gen

12、erally falls into one of three categories.First,the kind of hateful comments or content that breach platforms community guidelines and,in the most extreme cases,break the law.These comments will usually be dealt with by the platforms and,where necessary,escalated to law enforcement agencies.Second,w

13、hen users voice opinions that are critical of the brand or its rationale for supporting said cause,without using language thats discriminatory,violent or threatening.If your brand encourages freedom of expression,they will most likely neither reply to this type of comment nor remove it.Theres a thir

14、d category of hate that can be the most challenging for brands to navigate:the grey area between hate speech and free speech.This covers hateful comments on a brands social pages that offend an individual or community based on their race,gender,sexuality and beyond.These comments may not breach plat

15、forms community guidelines,but we believe more should be done to address them especially when it comes to sporting events that have the worlds attention.This third area is why we have written this report:to show brands how to offer genuine solidarity to affected communities and athletes,and demonstr

16、ate how they can do more to turn the tide of online hate.3How sports brands can take a stand on socialWHY WE HAVE WRITTEN THIS REPORT AND CHOSEN THESE SUBJECTS2024 promises to be a banner year for sport,with Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics headlining.There will be many moments to celebrate and many

17、 memories created for athletes and fans to cherish.However,based on our research and the data,we predict that there will also be a surge in online hate around two topics:racism and discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity.Both topics have seen instances of online hate rise over

18、 the past few years,and spike at major events.Therefore,it is important for brands to develop a watertight approach to these subjects.Using our social listening tool,Brandwatch,We Are Social tracked mentions of both the Olympics and UEFA European Championship during 2021,in conjunction with terms re

19、lating to the issues of racism,transphobia,homophobia and hate speech across blogs,forums,online news and social platforms including Reddit,Tumblr and X(Twitter).This delivered 12.58 million total mentions across the year,12.5%of which happened during the Euros(Jun 11-Jul 11)32%higher than average a

20、nd 7.9%during the Olympics(Jul 23-Aug 8)34%higher than average.This data includes both hate speech itself,and public discourse denouncing hate speech.However,our analysis found that overall,sentiment was highly negative outnumbering positive mentions aimed at empowering minorities by 10-1.In particu

21、lar,key spikes in anti-trans sentiment were noted in relation to the Olympics,and racism in relation to football.This proves the need for more work to be done when it comes to brands combatting hate on social platforms when such spikes of animosity and discrimination occur.Our research and data reve

22、als that these issues will lead to a spike in online hate and discrimination around the two biggest sporting events of the summer:EURO 2024 and the Paris Olympics&ParalympicsEuro 2020Olympics25000020000015000010000050000May 21June 21Mention VolumeDateOlympic transgender ControversyOlympic Gender Deb

23、ateEngland Racism ControversyLauren Hubbard Controversy297%increase229%increase525%increase60%increaseJuly 21August 21September 21Section 2 4How sports brands can take a stand on socialThree years ago,a grey cloud loomed over football.Following missed penalties in the final of the 2021 European Cham

24、pionship,what should have been a moment of unity instead was defined by a slew of racist comments and emojis that the players received on social media.There have sadly been countless other examples in the past year,from Mike Maignan to Vinicius Jr,that show the changing face of racial discrimination

25、 in football.International tournaments are a time for togetherness,but recently theyve also become associated with a spike in racist abuse particularly on social media.5How sports brands can take a stand on social“LARGEST GENDER-EQUAL SPORTING EVENT IN THE WORLD”When it comes to the issue of gender

26、and sexual identity,it might seem as though the issue of gender inclusion in sports has finally found a resolution.Weve seen a 16%increase in viewership of womens sports between 2022 and 2023.Female sports clubs are thriving;This Woman Runs has reached 250,000 members.There has also been a slew of b

27、rand partnerships with female teams,such as Prada x China Women and NYX x WNBAs New York Liberty.Meanwhile,the Tokyo Olympics featured the largest number of LGBTQIA+athletes ever.For brands looking ahead to this years Olympics,there is an opportunity to tell celebratory stories about what has long b

28、een touted as the“largest gender-equal sporting event in the world”.Yet,while there will be plenty of barrier-breaking moments,the question of gender and identity at the Olympics is contentious.Not only do we expect issues around sexism and homophobia,but also the question of transgender,non-binary

29、and intersex athletes.This sporting event is likely to be used by many online as a springboard to sow further division around the trans debate.It is crucial that brands dont just avoid doing the wrong thing,but also show the right level of support to affected communities online when the spotlight is

30、 on them.6How sports brands can take a stand on socialLOOKING AHEAD TO EURO 2024 AND RACISMSection 3 7How sports brands can take a stand on social“People have got bored.Brands,the press,football clubs,federations,government bodies.Everyone has got bored of talking about racism even though it remains

31、 the highest form of discrimination in football bar none.”TROY TOWNSEND,MBE 8How sports brands can take a stand on socialHOW HAS RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CHANGED ONLINE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS?Three years ago,the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement meant racism was at the forefront of public discou

32、rse.Football clubs carried out a host of acts that sought to do good,from social media blackouts to players taking a knee before kicking off Premier League games.While broadly praised at the time,those actions particularly taking the knee became derided by players such as Wilfried Zaha and leaders l

33、ike Les Ferdinand due to the fact they were not matched by tangible change.Today,the prevailing sentiment among Black players mirrors this.Following the abuse of Coventry City midfielder Kasey Palmer in January 2024,the Professional Footballers Association released a statement stating that players d

34、ont believe there are“real,consistent and significant”consequences for racial abuse in football.To quote Kick It Outs Troy Townsend,the game has“gone quiet”on the issue.While there have been signs of solidarity,like the global football community coming together in support of Milan keeper Mike Maigna

35、n following racist chants from opposition fans in Italy,support has been lacking in many other moments.The continued abuse that Vinicius Jr faces from fans,compounded by criticism in the media,illustrates the slow progress made.And sadly,his experience is not an isolated incident.In April 2024,Athle

36、tic Club forward Nico Williams asked the referee to stop play due to racist chants in a game against Atletico Madrid.In February,Newport County striker Omar Bogle faced racist abuse at Gillingham,reporting to Sky that he“almost shed a tear”due to what he experienced.As for social media,reports of ra

37、cist abuse increased three-fold in 2022/23 compared to the previous season.In the absence of a system that is set up to deal with racism,new voices have appeared that have prioritised speaking on it.Next generation football publishers like Versus are taking on the role of activists,using Instagram c

38、arousels to educate the masses and bring attention to discrimination.Podcasts like On The Judy and Stoppage Time TV create a space for Black voices to shine through.But its not just on these platforms to raise awareness,fight racism and show solidarity.Its on everyone connected to the game to play a

39、n intentional part in bettering it.There is a disconnect between the influx of discourse around the BLM movement and tangible change in football.Section 4 9How sports brands can take a stand on socialWHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE CHANGE AT EURO 2024“For me,whoever is connected to that player brand wise or a

40、gency wise.whatever endorsements they get,they should be looking to protect that individual,shouldnt they?”TROY TOWNSEND,MBE At a time when players feel as though support and action is dwindling,its crucial for the football community to stand up to racism in unison.Beyond calling out racism and show

41、ing support on social media for footballers who are victims to it(no matter their country or sponsor),organisations connected to those targeted with racist abuse must consider consulting victims when taking further action.When German international Antonio Rdiger marked the beginning of Ramadan by po

42、sting a picture of himself on a prayer mat,with his right index finger pointed to the sky(a Muslim gesture called Tawhid),former Bild Editor-In-Chief Julian Reichelt accused Rdiger of performing the“ISIS-greeting of Islamists”.The German FA stood side by side with Rdiger,with both the federation and

43、 the players management team filing separate legal complaints against the journalist,united in their response against religious intolerance.Echoing Troy Townsends sentiment above that protecting the individual athlete should be top of mind for every federation,institution,or brand who has a connecti

44、on to that player.However,its not only football associations or leagues commercial partners have a responsibility to protect players too.Learn from mobile network EE,who created Hope United,a multi-year campaign dedicated to tackling online hate in football.Rather than being a one-off stunt,EEs init

45、iative has consistently campaigned for a safer online world.In 2022,it sent an open letter to the government“lobbying for a more stringent Online Safety Bill”,following a campaign to combat online sexist abuse during the UEFA Womens European Championship in 2022.It then followed this up in 2023,with

46、 a campaign which lobbied the House of Lords to make the Online Safety Bill safer for women and girls.Finally,consider working with experts in the space,or those leading the conversation.Look to McDonalds Fun Football collaboration with Kick It Out,which saw the creation of a coaching development pl

47、atform and bursary fund to make McDonalds grassroots football initiatives more inclusive,particularly when it comes to training coaches.Or on a similar subject,look to Versus collaboration with the Premier League and its Dugout Diaries content series on Instagram,which sees the platform“highlighting

48、 a new cohort of coaches working hard to make elite level football more diverse and inclusive for the next generation,on and off the pitch”.We are expecting to see brands step in to protect players just as much as football associations,and part of this means working in unison with the athletes affec

49、ted,experts in the space,and other brandsSection 5 10How sports brands can take a stand on socialWHAT CAN BRANDS DO?A three step approach to tackling racial discrimination at this years EurosStatements will not quell the tide of online hate.One off brand responses seek to show solidarity only at hig

50、h profile moments.Just as much as the discourse around these subjects has changed online,so has online behaviour.In other words,a more discerning,Gen Z,socially native audience and the impacted communities will see through standalone statements made by brands.As Troy Townsend notes,brands who put ou

51、t a hollow statement on social media are not doing enough to stop online hate.Brands need to follow a three step process to tackle racism on social media at Euro 2024 and,crucially,beyond the tournament too.“We have got to the point where statements are no longer good enough.Victims see straight thr

52、ough them.”TROY TOWNSEND,MBESection 6 11How sports brands can take a stand on socialANTI HATE POLICY:Every brand should have their own anti-hate policy that is publicly posted online.Your social channels can link to it either in the bio or via a pinned post.It will show both online trolls and margin

53、alised communities where your brand stands on sensitive issues,but it will also guide your page moderators in their response to hateful comments,and discourage hateful sentiment overall.Then,when you run a campaign that might trigger users to breach your anti-hate rules,we recommend posting a remind

54、er of your anti-hate policies as a pinned comment.REMAIN/REPLY/REPORT:Plan in advance the benchmarks your brand will set around issues that generate hateful behaviour online.Without having a proper system in place,its difficult to know how to respond to hate when it occurs in real time.That is why w

55、e recommend grouping types of posts into these three buckets,and preparing example contingency responses,as shown in our original Braving the Backlash report.REMAIN:Sometimes,your online community can be negative about campaigns that feature marginalised communities without being discriminatory we u

56、rge brands to let these comments remain on their channels.We shouldnt censor opinions.REPLY:Some hateful comments can slip through the net of platform moderation but are not extreme enough to merit reporting to law enforcement.On these occasions,we recommend brands reply to the comment in line with

57、their TOV in order to take a stand against hate.REPORT:Sometimes,extremely hateful comments that clearly breach platforms community guidelines might be missed by platform moderators.We advise reporting these comments.The comment should also be screenshotted,as well as the users profile where possibl

58、e,in case it needs to be used as evidence at a later stage.It is critical that brands internally align on what justifies a comment to remain,reply to or report.This way the process will be much more streamlined ahead of sporting events that will see a significant uptick in comments and conversations

59、 online.OUTPUT:Preparation of an anti-hate policy to combat online hate,and scenario planning ahead of major events to align on what comments merit a remain,reply,or report response.12How sports brands can take a stand on socialCO-CREATE EVERY STEP:When we spoke with Liz Ward,Diversity&Inclusion Con

60、sultant at the FA,to inform this report,she introduced a way of thinking about co-creation that has stuck with us.Often brands run creative campaigns on a sliding scale of Informed vs consulted vs responsible vs accountable.At the very least,athletes involved in sporting campaigns that tackle issues

61、 like racism should be consulted,and not just informed because if things go wrong,its them who will be accountable.Yet,more often than not,they are only informed rather than consulted and this means they are removed from any decision-making process around tackling hate online.To change this,brands s

62、hould be working with the player on the content as part of the campaign to make sure what is shared is what they are comfortable with.And then,if the campaign triggers hateful responses online,checking the player affected is okay.But also co-creating the responses to those hateful comments alongside

63、 them,using collab posts on Instagram for example to show unity in the face of hate.Further,if you are a brand and one of your sponsored athletes takes a strong political stance in the face of adversity(e.g.Colin Kaepernick and Nike)stand by them.STAND ALONGSIDE OTHERS:There have always been lines o

64、f separation when it comes to competitor brands commercial interests.And that makes sense.However,subjects like racism should never be seen as a reason to maintain boundaries between competing brands.For instance,if a New Balance sponsored athlete suffered racist abuse online after a match at Euro 2

65、024,we would expect brands such as adidas,Nike,and Puma to show solidarity in the comments straight away and stand up to hate together.There should be no delay in deciding if commenting on a competitor brands page is right or wrong the affected community will hear your silence and itll be deafening.

66、Furthermore,the result of being seen as the brand who didnt stand up to hate online or on the pitch is far more damaging than adding your comment to another brands social channel.OUTPUT:Collaboration with the athletes who will ultimately be accountable online for any backlash received,and an interna

67、l policy to stand alongside competitor brands to unite against hate on social media and beyond.13How sports brands can take a stand on socialEuro 2024 stands out as it is the first tournament since the BLM take the knee movement,and we are expecting institutions,federations,and social platforms to t

68、ake a much firmer stance on incidents of racial hate at this tournament.Should the action they take not be firm enough,it is up to brands to react fast and react hard.REACT FAST:In tournament football,you have a limited time to react before the news cycle moves on to the next game.This is even more

69、the case with a tournament like Euro 2024 compared to an event like the Olympics or Paralympics because there are two or three kick offs per day,rather than the coverage being continuous.Therefore,a brand must counter any racial hate online within moments of it occurring in line with the hate policy

70、 they created as part of Step One,and in collaboration with an athlete or competitor brand involved,in line with Step Two.REACT HARD:We have spoken with all the key platforms and include their updated codes of conduct around moderation later in this report.However,there is a change in the tide when

71、it comes to brands pulling spend from platforms to take a stand much more freely than they have in the past.This is particularly the case on X,where major brands have removed ad spend from the platform in light of concerns around moderation of hateful content.Should we see a similar case of monkey e

72、mojis being used to racially abuse Black players at Euro 2024 and a platform such as X refuse to moderate such hateful,racist content we would expect major brands and sponsors to feel empowered enough to take a financial stand,as well as lead on a community management response in collaboration with

73、athletes and other brands.OUTPUT:Internally align as a brand that there are moments which will call for taking a stand beyond remain/reply/report.Identify the scenarios that will justify the next step removal of content and ad spend from platforms that have not done enough to tackle the issue of rac

74、ism during Euro 2024.14How sports brands can take a stand on socialLOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2024 PARIS GAMES AND GENDER EQUITY,GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY Section 7 15How sports brands can take a stand on social“The first thing I would say is that even within a community of people that are connected b

75、y identity be it gender or sexuality you are never going to make everyone within that community happy.But it doesnt stop you having a duty of care.”LIZ WARD 16How sports brands can take a stand on socialEXPLORING THE CURRENT CONVERSATIONS AROUND GENDER EQUITY&INCLUSION,AS WELL AS SEXUALITY AND GENDE

76、R IDENTITY.Even within this space,there is a sliding scale of progress that has been made,with hate around gender identity in particular becoming a polarising subject online over the past few yearsSection 8 17How sports brands can take a stand on socialGENDER EQUITY&INCLUSIONWhen it comes to the Oly

77、mpics,the trajectory of gender equity and inclusion for both female and LGBTQIA+athletes has been trending in the right direction.Participation isnt just increasing athletes are reclaiming their own narratives and celebrating their identities.For female athletes,stars like Naomi Osaka and Simone Bil

78、es have shared their experiences on global platforms;but a new generation,like gymnast Olivia Dunne and pro golfer Paige Spiranac,are using social media to authentically tell their own stories.At the same time,athletes like Angel Reese are fearlessly expressing their passion and intensity,where once

79、 their behaviour might have been called out as un-feminine and aggressive.When it comes LGBTQIA+athletes,stars are also celebrating their sexuality as part of their identity.When Australian rock climber Campbell Harrison announced his Olympic qualification,he thanked his LGBTQIA+community for their

80、support.New Zealands dual-Olympian Robbie Manson,who came out as gay in 2014,announced in 2023 that he had launched his own OnlyFans account to promote body positivity,sensuality and self-acceptance.However,while representation and celebration is on the rise,significant barriers remain.Female athlet

81、es continue to experience disproportionate abuse compared to their male counterparts,especially online(at the Tokyo Games,women were the target of 87%of social media abuse).Sporting institutions themselves are also slow to change organisers of the Paris Olympics have refused judo Olympian Clarisse A

82、gbgnnous request to allow her breast-feeding daughter to stay overnight in the Olympic Village,less than a year after she was applauded for breastfeeding her same child during a world competition.For LGBTQIA+athletes,at the last Games,competitors were subjected to homophobic abuse even from voluntee

83、rs and pundits.Looking ahead to these Games,the greater ability*and willingness of LGBTQIA+athletes to celebrate their identity could,sadly,lead to acute abuse from some quarters not only from participants,commentators and fans from countries with anti-gay records,but across markets.For example,only

84、 last year,football players in France(this years host country)refused to back an anti-homophobia campaign.*In 2021,in a positive step,the IOC loosened rules which allowed athletes to make some political,religious and other statements at the Olympics,including the wearing of rainbow colours.18How spo

85、rts brands can take a stand on socialSEXUALITY&GENDER IDENTITYUnlike the issues facing women and openly gay athletes,transgender,non-binary and intersex athletes dont just face issues of discrimination they face political and institutional exclusion from professional sport.The International Olympic

86、Committee has tightened recommendations on who can compete at an elite level,but individual governing bodies set their own criteria.These have been enacted with varying degrees of severity;looking ahead to Paris,two of the most visible Olympic sports swimming and track and field have effectively bar

87、red transgender female athletes,with rules that also affect some intersex athletes.Meanwhile,the UK Government wants to ban transgender athletes from all elite womens sporting events.However,the question of trans inclusion specifically has become a political issue that goes beyond elite sports.For e

88、xample,in the US,it has become weaponised as part of a wider debate around gender ideology.This is manifesting directly in the experience of those athletes a 2023 study found that 67%of transgender athletes encounter mockery and slurs during sports participation.Despite the fact that there will be f

89、ewer trans and intersex athletes at this years games,the issue will remain an inflection point.For brands wanting to promote and celebrate broader LGBTQIA+participation,this presents a challenge:consumers will also be looking for solidarity to extend to trans and intersex causes and individuals,whil

90、e brands will be wary of toxicity surrounding transphobic discourse.It is also a problem for brands who wish to celebrate women in sport,as social media posts in support of women athletes are often used as flashpoints by anti-trans commentators to rile up transphobia.This has the potential of derail

91、ing what should be a celebratory moment into one of toxicity as its hijacked by bad-faith actors,so we urge brands who post such celebratory messages to closely monitor the comments underneath their posts afterwards for this reason.19How sports brands can take a stand on socialLOOKING AHEAD TO THE P

92、ARIS OLYMPICS&PARALYMPICSThere is much to learn from brands who have approached these subjects sensitively as there is to learn from brands who made missteps around these topicsSection 9The question of how and if a brand should speak up on matters relating to trans inclusion can be complex,but for b

93、rands looking to engage with these communities and who are keen to take a proactive position by demonstrating their inclusive stance,a deeper understanding of this community and its needs are essential.Support must extend to promote full gender participation including the full spectrum of queer iden

94、tities and gender equity,as Liz Ward mentions.There are three distinct roles brands can play when it comes to the question of gender at the Olympics.The first is to continue to celebrate the wins of female and LGBTQIA+athletes,and representation more broadly.The second,as with issues of racism,is to

95、 call out abuse.The third,and crucial role,is to encourage participation from the ground up.The social,functional and institutional barriers facing women,LGTBQ+,transgender and non-binary sports stars do not just affect athletes themselves,but the future participation of those groups in sport.Indeed

96、,78%of people in the LGBTQIA+community say they would not consider playing grassroots football,because of the presence of homophobia.Promoting this participation could take the form of allyship campaigns,or investment in equipment and training for underrepresented groups.“If youre a brand and youre

97、planning on doing an advert with the progressive Pride flag and talking about how great it is to be gay you need to know there are also trans colours on that flag and that community also needs to be celebrated.”LIZ WARD 20How sports brands can take a stand on social“The example that I teach is the B

98、ud Light campaign with Dylan Mulvaney it was just a catalogue of errors.It didnt boost the brand,and it didnt protect the influencer.When a brand is thinking about a campaign,they need to think about the threats and risks,especially for those they are wanting to platform and know what your steps wou

99、ld be if you want to deliver inclusion authentically.”LIZ WARDDylan Mulvaney is a trans activist and creator with 10 million TikTok followers.She gained fame for her 365 Days of Girlhood series-documenting her transition journey as a trans woman,and led to two big brand partnerships in 2023.The firs

100、t was with Bud Light,while the second,a few days later,was with Nike.Both received transphobic comments and hate online as a result.The abuse was extensive,and extreme from calls for boycotts to celebrities shooting at cans of the beer.However,what differed was the response of the two brands.Nike pu

101、shed for users to be kind,inclusive and encourage each other.They also deleted abusive comments.Meanwhile,Anheuser-Busch announced it was going to refocus its marketing away from LGBTQ+issues towards music and sport,in what appeared to be a move to placate those who had reacted negatively.They didnt

102、 support Mulvaney during the backlash,instead issuing an apology that satisfied neither side.In a video she posted on TikTok captioned Trans people like beer too,Mulvaney said her post with Bud Light led to more bullying and transfobia sic than she could have imagined,commenting that for a company t

103、o hire a trans person and then not publically stand by them is worse,in my opinion,than not hiring a trans person at all.DYLAN MULVANEY:BUD LIGHT VS NIKE 21How sports brands can take a stand on socialWHAT CAN BRANDS DO?A three step approach to tackling discrimination around gender and sexual identit

104、y at the Paris GamesYou will see below that steps one and two are much the same as the steps you saw in the previous section.This is deliberate,and we urge brands to take greater steps to preparing and collaborating around both of these issues in order to lead by example on social media during this

105、busy summer of sport and beyond.It is in step three that we see a step change from the previous section,due to the increased nuance and diversity of viewpoints around gender and sexual identity.“Trans inclusion isnt a one and done activity,it is an ongoing demonstration of support for a marginalised

106、 community which is being disproportionately targeted.”ABY HAWKERSection 10DELIBERATION 22How sports brands can take a stand on socialANTI HATE POLICY:Every brand should have their own anti-hate policy that is publicly posted online.Your social channels can link to it either in the bio or via a pinn

107、ed post.It will show both online trolls and marginalised communities where your brand stands on sensitive issues,but it will also guide your page moderators in their response to hateful comments,and discourage hateful sentiment overall.Then,when you run a campaign that might trigger users to breach

108、your anti-hate rules,we recommend posting a reminder of your anti-hate policies as a pinned comment.REMAIN/REPLY/REPORT:Plan in advance the benchmarks your brand will set around issues that generate hateful behaviour online.Without having a proper system in place,its difficult to know how to respond

109、 to hate when it occurs in real time.That is why we recommend grouping types of posts into these three buckets,and preparing example contingency responses,as shown in our original Braving the Backlash report.REMAIN:Sometimes,your online community can be negative about campaigns that feature marginal

110、ised communities without being discriminatory we urge brands to let these comments remain on their channels.We shouldnt censor opinions.REPLY:Some hateful comments can slip through the net of platform moderation but are not extreme enough to merit reporting to law enforcement.On these occasions,we r

111、ecommend brands reply to the comment in line with their TOV in order to take a stand against hate.REPORT:Sometimes,extremely hateful comments that clearly breach platforms community guidelines might be missed by platform moderators.We advise reporting these comments.The comment should also be screen

112、shotted,as well as the users profile where possible,in case it needs to be used as evidence at a later stage.It is critical that brands internally align on what justifies a comment to remain,reply to or report.This way the process will be much more streamlined ahead of sporting events that will see

113、a significant uptick in comments and conversations online.OUTPUT:Preparation of an anti-hate policy to combat online hate,and scenario planning ahead of major events to align on what comments merit a remain,reply,or report response.DELIBERATION 23How sports brands can take a stand on socialCO-CREATE

114、 EVERY STEP:Once again,we would recommend brands see the scale of co-creation as Informed vs consulted vs responsible vs accountable.At the very least,athletes involved in sporting campaigns that tackle issues like gender or sexual identity should be consulted,and not just informed because if things

115、 go wrong,its them who will be accountable.See Dylan Mulvaney x Bud Light as an example.Brands should be working with the athletes on the content as part of the campaign to make sure what is shared is what they are comfortable with.And then if the campaign triggers hateful responses online,checking

116、the athlete affected is ok.But also co-creating the responses to those hateful comments alongside them,using collab posts on Instagram for example to show unity in the face of hate.On top of co-creating with athletes,consulting with community experts will also help reduce the backlash an athlete may

117、 face as an LGBTQIA+athlete does not represent each subset of that broad community.STAND ALONGSIDE OTHERS:In a similar way to competing brands around the Euros,we recommend supporting other brands who take a stand against online hate around gender equity or identity.It doesnt matter if you are shari

118、ng the sentiment of a rival brand.There should be no delay in deciding if commenting on a competitor brands page is right or wrong the affected community will hear your silence,and itll be deafening.OUTPUT:Collaboration with the athletes who will ultimately be accountable online for any backlash rec

119、eived,and an internal policy to stand alongside competitor brands to unite against hate on social media and beyond.DELIBERATION 24How sports brands can take a stand on socialOne key difference we are seeing in how conversations around the two issues weve spotlighted play out online is the nuance.Whe

120、n it comes to racism,there is racism and there are the voices courageous enough to combat racism.This is often the case when it comes to gender equity,but not always.It certainly isnt the case when it comes to gender and sexual identity,where we have seen multiple viewpoints fervently defended on so

121、cial media with no ground given.Rather than reacting hard and fast,as we encouraged for tackling racism at Euro 2024,we urge brands to take their time when responding to politically charged issues like gender identity when it comes up at the Paris Games.The worst thing a brand can do is share an ima

122、ge of the LGBTQIA+flag and then back down at any discrimination toward any member of that community.Rainbow washing does more harm than good in most instances.Brands can avoid rainbow washing by taking long-term actions to benefit the groups the brand claims to support.This starts by bringing those

123、voices into the room and education.Look for opportunities to do this,not just for the duration of the campaign,but as a move to integrate into the brand and company culture and policies.DELIBERATIONTAKE GRASSROOTS ACTION IF NOT ONLINE:If the issue is especially politically charged(e.g.gender identit

124、y),we recommend brands align on the action they will take,if a social statement to combat online hate is beyond them.For example,as Liz Ward noted,“as well as online discrimination,one of the biggest obstacles for many marginalised communities is participation.”By choosing to empower the next genera

125、tion of LGBTQIA+athletes,including the trans community,brands are showing a commitment to tackling hate in the future.N.B.We still urge brands to take a stand on this issue wherever possible.We also urge brands to consult with grassroots representatives from the community youre speaking to/on behalf

126、 of,before taking a stance or supporting grassroots initiatives.ADOPT A CRISIS AND ISSUES MINDSET:after speaking with Aby Hawker,CEO of TransMission PR,when it comes to trans+inclusion in sport,brands need to change their mindset.They must carry out a risk mitigation ahead of every campaign and ever

127、y sports event,and apply a crisis and issues mindset.This includes training the marketing and PR teams that operate a brands social media channels,to help them understand why what theyre doing matters to the affected online communities,and how it links back to their brand values.OUTPUT:Work with cha

128、rity partners on the ground to aid participation if you can neither post a statement that you will stand by if questioned nor post a statement in the first place due to the nature of the issue.Change the mindset of your brand ahead of the moments and events in which you can predict there will be bac

129、klash.25How sports brands can take a stand on social“If you cant do a statement for political reasons,or post a reply on social media,then impact the grassroots communities in that space.Dont see politics as a blocker for bringing about real change.”LIZ WARD 26How sports brands can take a stand on s

130、ocialHOW SHOULD BRANDS TAKE THIS GUIDANCE AND APPLY IT TO OTHER SENSITIVE ISSUES?Section 11 27How sports brands can take a stand on socialWe know that racism does not exclusively present itself during major football tournaments,nor are the questions around gender identity limited to conversations ar

131、ound the Olympics.There are many other subjects that sports brands should prepare for,and our guidance can be transferred to help stem the tide of all online hate.We know this report doesnt cover all the issues that will become hotbeds of online hate in the world of sport in 2024.It cant.However,we

132、wanted to spotlight the two subjects that we know will sadly produce the largest spikes of division on social media,with a clear focus on the two key sporting events that will attract the most brand sponsorship and conversation online.Most of the guidelines and takeaways we have produced for brands

133、around these specific issues can be transferred to help navigate other sensitive issues.For instance,we know that ongoing world conflicts such as Israel/Palestine will continue to be talking points around major cultural moments.We have seen this issue divide online communities this past month at Eur

134、ovision 2024,and this will surely transfer to other major events involving international competition,such as the Paris Games.You will have noted that steps one and two of our guidelines to combat racism at Euro 2024 and discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity at the Paris Olym

135、pics&Paralympics are much the same.These two steps should be mandatory steps for every brand who wishes to be courageous,and stand up and change the tide of online hate.These steps can be applied to issues like Israel/Palestine,and used as a foundational approach to braving the backlash on social me

136、dia.On the next slide,we have created a one slide cheat sheet that will help any courageous brand who wishes to stem the tide of online hate and lead the change on social media.The crucial thing to note is this cheat sheet tackles online hate around two key sporting events that have the worlds atten

137、tion in 2024.However,from our conversations with the leading voices in these subjects and focus groups with affected communities,we believe it is equally important that brands apply these steps to their communities away from the bright lights of the tournaments as well.28How sports brands can take a

138、 stand on socialA CHEAT SHEET FOR SPORTS BRANDS NAVIGATING ONLINE HATEDo you want to stand up to hate on social media?This guidance isnt for youEvery brand should have oneMaking your anti-hate policy shows athletes,fans,and others where you stand when it comes to online hatePreparing scenarios in ad

139、vance of tournaments helps streamline the processYou should co-create anti-hate responses with affected athletes wherever possible to make sure they are comfortable with the position you takeBrands coming together on issues is always much more powerful than when brands try to tackle the issue in iso

140、lationIt is important to do this because no two sporting events or audiences are the sameHave you created a hate policy?Have you either added it to your social media bio or pinned it to your page ahead of the tournament?Have you aligned internally on what comments justify a remain vs reply vs report

141、 response on social media?Have you consulted not just informed any athletes you have worked on a campaign with or sponsor ahead of the tournament?Have you aligned internally on working alongside competitor brands on the issue?Have you taken the mandatory steps one and two,then thought about how to l

142、ayer a bespoke treatment to a specific event based on the research outlined in this report and your own brand guidelines?A step-by-step guide to help sports brands brave the backlash and stand up against hateful speech ahead of a busy summer of sport.Step 1 PREPERATIONStep 2 COLLABORATIONYESYESYESYE

143、SYESYESNONONONONONONOSection 12SEPARATIONTake time to work with charity partners on the ground to aid participation if you can neither post a statement that you will stand by if questioned,nor post a statement in the first place due to the nature of the issue.Seek to change the mindset of your brand

144、 ahead of the moments and events in which you can predict there will be backlash.DELIBERATIONTake time to work with charity partners on the ground to aid participation if you can neither post a statement that you will stand by if questioned,nor post a statement in the first place due to the nature o

145、f the issue.Seek to change the mindset of your brand ahead of the moments and events in which you can predict there will be backlash.TBCTo be worked on alongside your athletes ahead of a sporting moment.Please reach out to us at We Are Social Sport if you have any questions about how your brand can

146、take a stand against online hate.29How sports brands can take a stand on socialWHAT STANCE DO THE SOCIAL PLATFORMS TAKE WHEN IT COMES TO CONTENT MODERATION.The platforms vary when it comes to how they define hate speech as well as how they seek to combat it.We urge brands to apply nuance to the anti

147、-hate policy they create,so that it is tailored to each social platform.Brands also need to think beyond the social platforms when it comes to PR mitigation because anti-trans commentary can jump quickly to mainstream media outlets with very little social media engagement.PR teams need to be briefed

148、 and have prepared responses to potential questions and clear about the brands stance.Section 13 30How sports brands can take a stand on socialHOW DOES FACEBOOK DEFINE HATE SPEECH?For Facebook,hate speech is a direct attack against people rather than concepts or institutions on the basis of what it

149、calls protected characteristics:race,ethnicity,national origin,disability,religious affiliation,caste,sexual orientation,sex,gender identity and serious disease.Facebook says it will remove this kind of content.HOW DOES INSTAGRAM DEFINE HATE SPEECH?Like Facebook,Instagram doesnt tolerate attacks on

150、people based on their protected characteristics.It has banned more implicit forms of hate speech,like content depicting Blackface and common antisemitic tropes.It says a lot of abuse happens in peoples DMs,which is harder to address,but it has brought in new measures like removing the accounts of pe

151、ople who send abusive messages to prevent online bullying.HOW DOES REDDIT DEFINE HATE SPEECH?Reddits content policy consists of a set of rules,and rule number 1 is that everyone has a right to use Reddit free of harassment,bullying,and threats of violence.It says that communities and users that inci

152、te violence or that promote hate based on identity or vulnerability will be banned.Marginalised or vulnerable groups include those based on race,religion,ethnicity,gender,and more,and include victims of a major violent event and their families.HOW DOES IT MODERATE IT?Facebook limits content that goe

153、s against its four Community Standards,which include respecting the dignity of others,and uses both AI and human reviewers to assess content.It asks its users to help by reporting content that goes against its Community Standards,and if the report is upheld,content will be removed from Facebook.If i

154、ts inappropriate,disrespectful,or offensive,it may see reduced distribution.HOW DOES IT MODERATE IT?Instagram has introduced comment filters to help people manage what they see,and it uses AI to warn people when theyre about to post something that might be hurtful.It says it takes action on hate spe

155、ech both before and after its reported.Business and creator accounts can switch off DMs from people they dont follow,and more controls are being rolled out to personal accounts.HOW DOES IT MODERATE IT?Reddits set of enforcement methods vary from Asking you nicely to knock it off to Temporary or perm

156、anent suspension of accounts,Removal of content and Banning of Reddit communities.Moderators have a lot of control on Reddit,and they are able to enforce the rules of the platform.The culture of each community is also shaped by the upvotes,downvotes,and discussions of its community members.Read more

157、Read moreRead more 31How sports brands can take a stand on socialHOW DOES SNAPCHAT DEFINE HATE SPEECH?Snapchats Community Guidelines prohibit hateful content,terrorism and violent extremism anywhere on the platform.Hate speech or content that defames on the basis of a number of factors,including rac

158、e,colour,caste,ethnicity,disability,socio-economic status,age,or weight,is prohibited.It consults with civil rights organisations,human rights experts,law enforcement agencies,NGOs,and safety advocates to ensure its policies are enforced responsibly.HOW DOES YOUTUBE DEFINE HATE SPEECH?YouTube doesnt

159、 allow content that promotes violence or hatred against individuals or protected groups under its policies,which includes age,caste,disability,ethnicity,gender identity,sexual orientation,veteran status and more.YouTube asks that its users refrain from posting content that encourages violence or inc

160、ites hatred against individuals or groups based on their protected group status.This applies to both content in YouTube,and external links shared.For educational,documentary,scientific or artistic content that includes hate speech,this context must appear in the images or audio of the video itself.H

161、OW DOES TIKTOK DEFINE HATE SPEECH?TikTok says it does not allow any hateful behaviour,hate speech,or promotion of hateful ideologies.This includes content that attacks a person or group because of protected attributes,including race,religion,gender,tribe,disease and more.It doesnt allow violent and

162、hateful organisations or individuals on the platform,or anyone who supports these.It does add that if referencing a quote from a hateful organisation,the user must make clear that there is no intent to promote it.HOW DOES IT MODERATE IT?Snapchat says it does not offer an open news feed where publish

163、ers or individuals have an opportunity to broadcast hate,misinformation,or violent content.On its“high-reach surfaces”,like Spotlight and Discover,it takes a proactive approach to moderating any content that may violate its rules,using a combination of automated tools and human review.It also encour

164、ages users to report content that violates its Community Guidelines,and says that it responds to user reports quickly,and uses feedback to improve the content experience for all Snapchatters.HOW DOES IT MODERATE IT?YouTube employs review teams who are expert in nuanced understanding of local languag

165、es and contexts.It uses machine learning to proactively detect potentially hateful content,and sends it for human review.Users can also report channels with videos or comments that offend,as well as reporting comments themselves and creators can stop comments showing up on their channel.If a channel

166、 is found to repeatedly go against the rules,YouTube can remove it from its Partner Programme(meaning it cant monetize),remove content itself,or terminate the channel.HOW DOES IT MODERATE IT?TikTok uses a combination of technology,safety experts and security professionals alongside threat-detection

167、partners to moderate content.It uses a variety of tech and AI tools,claiming the use of technology enables its human reviewers to focus more on content that requires a greater understanding of context and nuance.As with other platforms,online reporting tools allow the community to flag content that

168、goes against Community Guidelines.Read moreRead moreRead more 32How sports brands can take a stand on socialABOUT USWe Are Social is a global socially-led creative agency.We make ideas worth talking about for some of the worlds biggest brands.This report was compiled by We Are Social Sports Editoria

169、l team,alongside We Are Socials Cultural Insights team.Our aim is to continually connect brands to communities and culture and,when it comes to Braving the Backlash,we do this by helping our clients work out both when to take a stand and how to engage with their audience.From community management gu

170、idelines to long-term editorial content strategy,it is crucial that all sports brands have a clearly defined approach to tackling issues on social.Without it,they will never be seen as an authentic voice in their community.Find out how we can help your brand take a stand now:Section 14 33How sports brands can take a stand on social