The Big Idea Business & Society
Business role in broader political and cultural debates: Castle Lager sheds label to raise awareness of stereotyping. In the wake of another racist incident this time captured on camera involving a former national rugby coach and two celebrated former Springbok rugby players, the business world is toughening its stance on racism, amid one of their own in the form of Mark Lamberti recently being accused of racism by the court of law and ended up resigning from all business activities. The first sign that South African companies are taking matters into their own hands came in the form of Castle Lager.
May 2018
On 23 May 2018 in a bold move motivated by various incidents which have taken place across the country and to show solidarity with the country and the victims of stereotyping and labelling, Castle Lager, one of South Africa’s best-selling beers, announced it would be selling its much loved beer without a label. This is done a way of helping South Africans to move away from labelling and stereotyping each other on the basis of race and colour. “Labels and stereotyping have often been at the heart of recent social debates. As a brand that stands for bringing South Africans closer together, we wanted to take South Africa’s side by taking a stand against all forms of stereotyping and labelling” says Castle Brand Director Vaughan Croeser
by
Tsele Moloi
He further elaborated “We believe on bringing people closer together. Castle believe it and we not going to rest until we reach that realm of a more united nation – I know it’s going to be messy, we’ve seen it on social media in the past few days. We have to learn to deal with our biases,” To understand the real issues of how business decisions and approaches impact the societal wellbeing. Katalytik Business Review as the Bellwether of leadership and the vanguard of society’s wellbeing we went out to find answers. We got hold of Castle Brand Director Vaughan Croeser to find out from him what does it mean to them as Castle brand to embed themselves in broader societal issue
Katalytik Business Review Magazine: May 2018
Katalytik Business Review: Who is Castle and what does Castle stand for?
Vaughan Croeser: Castle Lager is a brand that stands for belonging and togetherness. Our purpose is to bring people closer together. So a little over a year ago we commissioned an ethnographic study asking a simple question about what Castle can do to bring South Africans closer together. The results were astounding. We learned that young South Africans want nothing more than the country united, one in which everyone can thrive and be at peace. And one of the biggest barriers blocking this unity is the labels and stereotypes that we place on each other. This is the first chapter of a quest to bring South Africans closer together and the first step is to raise awareness of the stereotyping issue. KBR: Why is important for business to have a say on issues that affect society and what do you see as the role of business in society or in societal challenges? VC: I can appreciate that there will be people who are sceptical when they see strong brands take a stand against issues that affect society. People might believe it is for commercial gain. The proof will have to be in our actions, how we take this forward, by actively partaking in social cohesion initiatives in the country. As owners of big brands and having access to large media channels, I believe we have a responsibility to stand up for issues that align to our brand ideals. Big brands must use their platforms to bring about societal change and be the counter-point to the negativity we are often exposed to. KBR: What is it you wish to achieve through the campaign of Castle losing a label? VC: We want to raise awareness amongst ALL South Africans of the dangers of labelling and stereotyping. We want to encourage people to get to know those who are different to them, because it will expand their world view and their understanding and appreciation of others. KBR: How do you see this campaign helps in healing society? VC: If we can learn to see beyond the labels, we can build more integrated communities, more socially cohesive societies, and ultimately the dream of a rainbow nation comes one step closer. KBR: You have been accused of being opportunistic in this campaign since the Ashwin Willemse incidents, Do you agree? VC: The campaign has been in development for over 18 months, and we see it as a continuation of Castle Lager’s story in bringing South Africans closer together. Very importantly, we believe this is a conversation that needs to be had. Last year we launched a campaign called Make Your Circle Bigger that encouraged people to reach out and make friends with people who are different to yourself – Share a Castle, Make a Friend. Two weeks before the Ashwin Willemse incident we launched a new sponsorship television commercial - It is called Proud Sponsors of the South African Spirit. It shows there is POWER and BEAUTY in our diversity. That no matter our labels we have SO MUCH in common. And despite our differences our love for sport and this country unites us. It shows why we believe in the sponsorship of the three national sporting codes – Rugby, Soccer and Cricket. KBR: What is the reason for coinciding the introduction of Castle Lager label-less with the Incoming Series of Springboks matches? VC: Those matches give us a platform to engage people in the conversation of a label-free society. We will be taking the label-less bottles to those matches and having conversations with people on the ground about labelling and stereotyping. KBR: How long will this campaign run? VC: There are several initiatives relating to this specific campaign which will be launched over the next six months. The actions mostly pertain to driving social cohesion and showing that we are serious and committed to this cause. As you can see in our history, Castle has always played the role of a unifier, but now we are increasing the conversation. KBR: What message do you have for other companies to get involved in other societal issues that go beyond just racial stereotyping and labelling? VC: I want to be clear that this campaign is about stereotyping in general, it doesn’t just pertain to race. Stereotyping affects us across a wide variety of situations – if you can imagine misconceptions around Xenophobia, Homophobia, income disparity, the list goes on. We simply want people to be more aware about their interactions with people who are different to them, by putting aside the labels and stereotypes and try and get to know each other better. I guess my message to other companies would be that we must use our influence to drive positive change in society. KBR: There are some who are saying businesses have no place embedding itself in broader political and cultural debates, what’s you take on that? VC: I believe Castle Lager can play a role in raising awareness around negative impact of labels and stereotypes. We have already made a big impact just in the last seven days on this debate. We have received numerous letters from people and organisations who want to align to this cause. I believe the issue of labelling and stereotyping is a social and cultural one, and our product is about sociability and shaping culture. Especially if we can help build a more united South Africa. KBR: Some are saying there’s a real opportunity for the business community to fill the void and prove that all that talk about moral responsibility isn’t hollow” Do you see that happening? VC: We have to take action. I believe the Carling Black Label #NoExcuse campaign which raises awareness against gender based violence is another excellent example of brands physically doing something to tackle issues in society. There are great potential partnerships with government and other institutions in doing work like this and we have to strive to make measurable impact.
Katalytik Business Review Magazine: May 2018