IF IT AIN’T WOKE —FIX IT. 2020 has seen significant shifts in how history and culture are perceived — how can those in PR and comms stay ahead of the curve? BY ROSE STOKES
n 1964 one of Atlanta’s local residents was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His name was Martin Luther King Jr. In order to celebrate this prestigious occasion, the city of Atlanta organised a dinner in Luther King’s honour. The problem was that the elites of the city — still deeply segregated and replete with racist attitudes — refused to attend. Atlanta was at that time — and still is — where Coca Cola’s headquarters is based. In those days, the company’s president was John Paul Austin, who was sympathetic to the cause of anti-racism after having witnessed the negative effects of the apartheid in South Africa. He sent a clear message to Atlantans: “It is embarrassing for Coca-Cola to be located in a city that refuses to honor its Nobel Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr. We are an international business. The Coca-Cola Company does not need Atlanta. You all need to decide whether Atlanta needs the Coca-Cola Company.” The dinner immediately sold out. On the face of it, this anecdote might not seem extraordinary; a big brand intervening in a social
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