Kendall Jenner featured in a 2017 Pepsi ad campaign the portrayed a simplistic solution to a serious problem: that police brutality could be offset by a can of cola. Courtesy: Pepsi
Kendall Jenner featured in a 2017 Pepsi ad campaign the portrayed a simplistic solution to a serious problem: that police brutality could be offset by a can of cola. Courtesy: Pepsi
Kendall Jenner featured in a 2017 Pepsi ad campaign the portrayed a simplistic solution to a serious problem: that police brutality could be offset by a can of cola. Courtesy: Pepsi
Shelina Janmohamed is an author and a culture columnist for The National
May 19, 2023
In 2017 Pepsi appeared to have found the answer to tackling racism and police brutality. They created an advert featuring the American model Kendall Jenner joining a street march, crossing the line from protester to police, handing over a can of the branded cola to a policeman, following which celebration ensued.
The implication is that the can of cola is what has diffused the tensions with police. In a world where people of colour are disproportionately and often fatally targeted by the police, it is mind boggling to see a brand put itself in the spotlight and portray a simplistic, naive solution: that police brutality can be offset by a can of cola.
For those unfamiliar with advertising, it takes large teams, a lot of discussion and approval and money to make an advert. Countless strategists, planners, gatekeepers, approvers, creatives and senior executives are involved. That something like this would be aired without anyone saying: "Hey guys, let’s not do this" or if they did, they were dismissed, is shocking but not surprising.
You might say, "It’s just a brand, they want to sell stuff. Move on".
But that is to underestimate the power that companies and brands have in shaping both our cultural narratives (and by extension, the lives people lead) as well as our consumer experiences. And consumer experiences are not a trivial matter. It’s not just a case of "shopping": consumer experiences shape aspects of an individual’s life. Whether you’re followed around a store for looking "suspicious" because of your race or ethnicity, whether products are not made to suit your skin colour, whether the treatment you receive at a hospital is discriminatory, or whether a bank is less likely to approve your application for a mortgage or business start-up loan, or any other number of consumer experiences, these experiences shape our lives.
Which is why the anti-racism movement that was re-invigorated in 2020 after the horrific murder of George Floyd in the US became such a pivotal moment for western brands.
Businesses – composed of ordinary people – watched the event and its aftermath, and with little else to distract them while in lockdowns, to really see what happened.
In a non-lockdown era, we would all have moved on to the next thing. But instead, there was now time to process what happened, as well as to reflect on the anti-racism commentary explaining the systemic nature of such events and how racism shows up in every part of society.
It's important to articulate clearly what specifically needs to be done by brands so they can deliver equal experiences to all
It seemed to be a pivotal moment because of the depth, emotion and far-reaching nature of the conversations that followed within businesses and brands in the West. And that these organisations themselves characterised the moment as pivotal. This was the moment that change was actually going to happen. Businesses and brands started to be honest about the inequalities embedded within them and their role in their perpetuation.
Organisations spoke of being more inclusive. Questions were asked about staff representation, employee resource groups held the floor and senior managers listened. Investments were promised. And all of these were important, excellent and laudable steps. Some of us did raise an eyebrow – could that moment really live up to expectations? We sincerely hoped it would. That was, however, not a moment for scepticism but for optimism.
For my part, on the inside of industry, I led the research and articulation of a new business paradigm: consumer equality. We’ve heard of financial inequality, health inequality, social inequality and so on. Consumer equality means ensuring people from minority ethnic groups are given more equal experiences. It is the area that businesses can focus on in order to play their part in tackling wider societal inequality and racism.
Next week (May 25th) is the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. As a result, in the past three years, some brands have demonstrated good intentions and taken action. New corporate objectives set in many large and small companies looked at ensuring that the workforce, especially senior leadership groups were more representative. Companies have initiated work to create a greater sense of belonging, with those more diverse workforces. Papers have been written about what companies know, don’t know and what they would like to do. This is all wonderful. But it’s time now to make that paradigm shift that businesses collectively promised to make – delivering on the promise that that was a pivotal time, rather than just refining what already existed.
It's time to remember the visceral emotions of 2020 following George Floyd's killing, and the grand statements that were made at the time. It’s time for businesses to deliver more equal consumer experiences. That would make consumers happier and corporations more money. And all of this could make a difference to society.
And if you’re a consumer, make sure you hold brands to account by pointing out unequal experiences. Give them feedback and support brands that appear to deliver more equal experiences. It's important to articulate clearly what specifically needs to be done by brands so they can deliver equal experiences to all. As consumers, we have the power to demand consumer equality. Let's all make sure we get it.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
MATCH INFO
Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre Power: 150hp Torque: 250Nm Price: From Dh139,000 On sale: Now
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
