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Two leading British tea brands have become embroiled in an online media storm over the death of George Floyd in police custody in America.
The controversy underlines the high stakes faced by companies around the world when deciding whether, and how, to comment on the issues highlighted by Floyd’s death.
The row started when online influencer Laura Towler tweeted that she was “chuffed” [pleased] that Yorkshire Tea, owned by private company Bettys & Taylors Group, had not publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement.
The company said the silence had been because it was planning proper action before posting anything in response to worldwide demonstrations following the death of Floyd.
It teamed up with rival Unilever UNA, +0.64%, which owns PG Tips, to tell Towler: “Please don’t buy our tea again.”
PG Tips responded by urging anybody “boycotting teas that stand against racism” to find two new tea brands.
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The companies are the latest to support the Black Lives Matter movement alongside U.S. companies including Nike NKE, -1.59% and Amazon AMZN, +3.04%
But some took to Twitter TWR, +0.69% to question the ethical credentials of the tea firms, with one, Brian McCarthy, writing: “Can we have your full political declaration then please. Just so everyone is clear where you stand on all the issues rather than appearing to be opportunistic [in] order to sell more tea.”
There has been pressure on firms in recent years to make a real difference by employing a more diverse workforce, closing gender pay gaps, and ensuring boards make more socially responsible investment decisions. In its latest annual report, Unilever had just one black nonexecutive on its board, Strive Masiyiwa, a London-based Zimbabwean billionaire.
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The Yorkshire Post newspaper reported in 2019 that Yorkshire Tea was the most popular tea brand in Britain. It said the brand controls more than a quarter of the market, with PG Tips second.
Other tea brands supported Yorkshire Tea’s initial response to Towler, including Tetley’s, the third-placed brand according to the Yorkshire Post.
Unilever and Bettys & Taylors Group have been contacted by MarketWatch but Towler couldn’t be reached through Twitter because her direct messages were closed.
