In the world of marketing and communications, the fear of call-outs often leads brands into paralysis or defensive responses. Many organizations – unfortunately – choose silence or “safe” neutrality over the risk of making a mistake, which is a mistake in itself. Thus, we believe there is a more transformative path: moving away from the “call-out” as a first resort and instead, towards the “call-in.”

What is “Calling In”? While a call-out is a public identification of harm – often necessary for systemic accountability and urgent change – “calling in” is an invitation to a conversation. It is a pivot from shame to possibility. It is an act of labour and grace from those who have been harmed, signalling a belief that the brand is capable of evolution.

To be clear, there is a time and place for calling out. When a brand demonstrates a pattern of harm, refuses to listen, or acts with blatant disregard for equity-deserving communities, the public call-out serves as a vital tool for justice. But for the brand that is genuinely trying to do the work, the “call-in” offers a different kind of opportunity.

A Dependency, Not an Opposite: Growth and accountability are not opposites – they are dependencies. You cannot have authentic growth without the willingness to be held accountable for the impact of your work. When our community takes the time to point out a blank spot in our marketing or internal culture, they are essentially saying: “I believe you can do better, and I want you to be part of our future.”

Reframing the Narrative: To build a more human-centric brand, we must replace the defensive fear surrounding call-outs with three core values:

• Gratitude: Acknowledging that those we harmed spent their emotional labour to educate us.
• Perspective: Recognizing that being held accountable means people still have hope in our potential.
• Compassion: Approaching our own growth – and the growth of others – with the understanding that we are all works in progress.

By embracing the “call-in” whenever possible, we stop viewing accountability as a hurdle to be cleared, and instead, start seeing it as the foundation of a truly inclusive brand.

Learn more about what we do and who we do it for on our services page.

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