Why did Lush leave social?

Social media is becoming an increasingly uncomfortable place for brands with ethics.

This week, Lush did what many ethical businesses wish they were brave enough to do: it quit Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and SnapChat.

According to Lush, it will stay away from social media until the platforms "take action to provide a safer environment for users”.

It’s a great starting point for the much-needed conversation about whether social media is a place where brands-that-care can show up. There’s certainly been much celebration of Lush’s decision in ethical circles.

But perhaps there is more to the Lush decision than first glance suggests. And that’s something ethical brands need to be aware of before they decide “If Lush can pull it off, then so can we”.

A lesson for ethical businesses everywhere

Ethics and activism are at the heart of the Lush brand. It’s taken a stand on many issues - from over packaging and animal testing, to policing and shark fin hunting.

As a result, it attracts customers with a conscience - people with a passion.

Customers with shared values - what could go wrong?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

On the Ethical Marketing course for small businesses, one of the first things we cover is this:

Conscious consumers are amazing. And they’re people who are going to be disappointed if you don’t live up to their expectations. And they’re vocal, and they’ve got long memories.

Over the years, Lush’s campaigns and stance have landed it in a lot of hot water. The time it donated thousands of pounds to an anti-trans pressure group. The time it ran a campaign that was heavily criticised as ‘anti-police’ - and the time the Lush CEO posted ‘tone-deaf’ pictures of himself giving gifts to the police; the day after the death of George Flloyd.

Lush has also had problems in its own backyard, with issues over the treatment and rights of its own workers.

No matter what Lush posts on social media, there’s a backlash, by some very ethical, principled and committed people - with very long memories.

Cutesy post launching an egg free product? Rest assured it will swiftly be followed by a comment like: “Have you tried going hate-group free yet, Lush? I’m no fan of the egg industry but using eggs is a little more understandable than giving a hate group charity donations”.

The comments are a constant, on-going reminder of every time Lush has messed up. Its every misdemeanour, every badly judged deed, every mistake, is laid bare - day after day after day.

It would be nice to think that Lush are leaving social media for the reasons they claim.

But it just doesn’t pass the sniff test.

Why stick with Twitter (not exactly a place of love and tolerance) or YouTube (a channel which has mastered the art of keeping us scrolling into ever deeper rabbit holes, no matter how ‘unsafe’.)

We’ve been here before

Lush’s problematic relationship with social media isn’t new - and this isn’t the first time it’s quit.

In 2019, Lush declared it was leaving social media, but for a different reason - because the algorithms were making it increasingly hard for it to reach its followers. (It returned to the social media fold during the pandemic.)

The reality is this: Lush has made some poor decisions, in terms of its campaigns. It’s failed to do its due diligence, on more than one occasion. And it’s not always kept its own house in order.

These are all issues that could happen to any business. But when you position yourself as ‘ethical’, you will always be held to a higher standard - just ask Tony’s Chocolonely.

If you’re going to take a stance on your social media accounts, then it’s worth being pretty slick at social media management.

And now, perhaps, we’re getting to the root of the issue.

Lush just isn’t very good at social media - it never has been. It struggles uncomfortably with where to position itself - warm and fluffy cosmetics retailer, or corporate activist? It has demonstrated time and again that it doesn’t know how to deal with the ‘trolls’ who pepper each and every post with their passion. Never blocked, but never acknowledged, these activists get steadily angrier and more vocal; which encourages others to follow their lead.

Look at Lush’s social posts in search of a relaxing bath bomb, and you’re likely to come away with the impression that you’re funding anti-trans hatred; that you’ll be bathing in harmful chemicals that have been manufactured by abused workers; and that if there’s a problem then you’ll have no recourse, because the customer service is awful.

Not what an ethical customer wants on their mind as they light their candles and sink into their Sunday night bath.

So are Lush quitting social media because it’s an unsafe environment for its customers? Maybe. Just like, when they quit in 2019, it may have been a decision influenced by the problems with algorithms.

But taking a break from social media will undoubtedly offer other benefits for the brand. An opportunity for the tarnished brand to heal, for one.

Most brands would worry about the impact on the bottom line if they were to quit social media. For Lush, perhaps it’s more a question of what will happen to the bottom line if they DON’T quit.