To connect itself with LGBTQIA+ community and express support, global confectionery giant Mars Wrigley Skittles has recently unveiled a ‘Pride Pack’ in Australia. More consumer packaged goods companies are aligning their brands with social causes such as gender quality, besides LGBTQIA+ inclusiveness, to gain the patronage of the increasingly conscious consumers, particularly millennials, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Skittles replaced its signature rainbow design on the packaging label with a QR code that consumers can scan to access the ‘World’s Biggest Rainbow’ website, which delivers an augmented reality experience and content related to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Bobby Verghese, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Skittles’ initiative comes in the backdrop of the Australia’s recent controversial proposals to amend the Religious Discrimination Bill. This follows a 2021 report from the Western Sydney University indicating an alarmingly high rate of verbal abuse and physical harassment that LGBTQ+ students face in Australian schools.

“Such factors are raising public awareness about gender disparity and inclusiveness. GlobalData’s 2021 consumer survey revealed that 45% of Australians consider gender orientation equality (LGBTQIA+) a ‘quite important’ or ‘extremely important’ matter^*.”

More CPG companies are integrating pertinent social causes into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals and brand purpose to align themselves with the rise in conscious consumerism.

Brands that genuinely espouse such sensitive humanitarian and ethical issues can gain the goodwill and loyalty among 61% Australian consumers who are somewhat/completely more loyal to brands that support social/human rights matters as per GlobalData’s 2021 consumer survey^*. The survey further reveals that trend is more pronounced among Gen Y (millennials) and Gen Z (iGen) consumers^*.

The Skittles ‘Pride Pack’ was launched in partnership with Minus18, a charity that works towards educating and uplifting young Pride community members who lack financial resources and government representation in rural and regional areas of Australia.

Skittles rolled out the limited-edition packs in retail stores across the country in February 2022. The chocolates and confectionary manufacturer also pledged to match donations up to $30,000 to Minus18 to support its work among the LGBTQ+.

Verghese concludes: “Connecting the core brand purpose with meaningful social causes that are relevant to target cohorts and geographic markets will endow a positive feel-good halo to the brand, and thereby incentivize consumers to purchase products. However, the caveat is that such initiatives can backfire if companies take an inappropriate stance in such issues or fail to maintain consistency in corporate and brand communications and actions in this regard.”

*Data taken from GlobalData Q3 2021 Consumer Survey – Australia, with 569 respondents, published in September 2021