Best Buy, American Express and Barneys New York are among the brands that have communications planned around the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

These brands have approached the date cautiously, not wanting to appear as though they are exploiting the tragedy. Others, still, are getting behind a national effort to help change how Americans respond to (and feel about) the day.

Best Buy had initially planned to organize its own campaign around 9/11, says Andrea Wood, manager of community ...