How diversity commodification affects trust

New research from Gravity Research shows something troubling: companies are neutralizing their commitment to equity. DEI mentions in Fortune 100 company reports dropped 72% between 2024 and 2025. The acronym ‘DEI’ itself plummeted 98%. This isn’t just a semantic change - it’s a strategic retreat. Here’s what happened: Companies first tried ‘safer’ language. Mentions of ‘belonging’ surged 87% in 2024 as an alternative to DEI. But even that didn’t last - ‘belonging’ dropped 47% in 2025. The irony? Companies that maintained their DEI commitments saw reputation scores rise by 1.5 points in the Axios Harris Poll, while overall corporate reputation declined by 2.34 points. Patagonia, Costco, and Microsoft - all companies that held firm on DEI - ranked among the highest for trust, culture, and ethics. Meanwhile, companies that rolled back their DEI programs saw a decline in their reputation. Target, Disney, and AB InBev all dropped significantly in reputation rankings. At Better Together Agency, we help companies navigate this tension. The solution isn’t to abandon equity commitments - it’s to communicate them more strategically. The data is clear: authentic commitment to diversity builds trust. Linguistic gymnastics destroy it. How is your organization balancing political pressure with genuine equity commitments?

I often speak about my primary motive for founding Be Inclusive Hospitality – tackling the lack of representation of people who look like me in senior leadership and across the supply chain. What I discuss less frequently, however, is my secondary motive, mainly because it infuriates and frustrates me deeply. That motive is the issue of virtue signalling by Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) businesses, who focus on grand gestures that lack substance and deliver no real impact. While the political climate has undoubtedly contributed to the slashing of EDI budgets in the UK and the USA, this trend has also been heavily influenced by businesses in the EDI space that focus on profits over people. As a business owner, I fully understand that when time and money are invested in a strategy or initiative that fails to deliver measurable outcomes year after year, it is likely to be deprioritised or cut entirely. The truth is this: there are clear short-, medium-, and long-term measurable benefits to meaningful Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work – but only when the right strategies and measures are in place. Over the past five years, I have personally witnessed these benefits across dozens of businesses we’ve worked with. In sustainability, we call this greenwashing. In the EDI space, there isn’t yet a widely recognised term, but the harm caused is extremely damaging. The "profits-over-people" businesses harm the EDI field, our industry, and the people within it. If a company claims to be an “agent of change” but: ▪️ Projects a facade of inclusion that does not reflect the employees' experiences - they are part of the problem. ▪️Positions itself as an advocate for EDI without prioritising or measuring improved outcomes for underrepresented groups - they are part of the problem. ▪️Promotes Inclusion as a marketing tool while failing to address or acknowledge the systemic barriers at play – they are part of the problem. Misrepresentation, no matter how well-packaged, edges dangerously close to dishonesty; it undermines trust, devalues genuine efforts, and ultimately stalls the progress it claims to champion.

🚨 The Perils of Pretending to Be Inclusive 🚨 Today, the corporate landscape often uses the word "inclusivity" like a buzzword, but many workplaces still struggle to achieve true inclusivity. It's one thing to talk about inclusivity, but it's another to practice it genuinely. "Empowered representation" goes beyond filling quotas or ticking boxes. It means actively hiring and empowering historically marginalized groups, not just for appearance's sake but to value their expertise and perspectives genuinely. When organizations claim to be inclusive without taking meaningful action, they harm marginalized groups and their entire workforce. Harm to Marginalized Groups: - Tokenism: Simply hiring individuals from marginalized groups without giving them a voice leads to tokenism, causing feelings of isolation and resentment. - Undermined Expertise: Ignoring these individuals' perspectives and expertise diminishes their role and affects their professional growth. - Perpetuated Inequality: Fake inclusivity perpetuates systemic inequalities, hindering real progress. Harm to Workforce: - Decreased Morale: A lack of genuine inclusivity can reduce morale and trust among all employees, as they see through the facade. - Stifled Innovation: Diverse perspectives drive innovation. True inclusivity allows companies to generate creative solutions and ideas. - Reputational Damage: Inauthentic practices can lead to public backlash and harm a company's reputation. Every four years, political parties showcase diversity to win votes, only for these efforts to vanish after the election. This fake diversity mirrors some workplaces' superficial DEI efforts. The backlash against DEI reflects the failure of these inauthentic practices. To combat this, companies must take genuine steps toward inclusivity. How Organizations Can Combat DEI Backlash: - Authentic Leadership: Leaders must commit to DEI beyond lip service. They should be educated on its importance and lead by example. Continuous Education: Implement ongoing DEI training that addresses biases, promotes cultural competency, and underscores the value of diversity. Follow up with monitoring and evaluation of these trainings to understand their effectiveness. - Empowered Voices: Create platforms for marginalized groups to have a say in decision-making processes. Their input should guide policies and practices. - Transparent Practices: Be transparent about diversity metrics and the steps being taken to improve. Accountability is key. Call to Action: It's time for organizations to move beyond performative inclusivity and embrace Empowered Representation. Let's not just talk about inclusivity; let's practice it. Hire, listen, and learn from historically marginalized groups to create a truly inclusive environment that benefits everyone. We can build workplaces that genuinely value and leverage diversity for collective success. #Inclusivity #Diversity #EmpoweredRepresentation #WorkplaceInclusion #DEI #Leadership

“We had to change some language on our website,” explained a CMO at a $750 million tech company, “to address the lightning rod issues.” Righteous Drew wanted to push back and say, “If every company does this, aren’t we all being complicit?” Coach Drew held his tongue. There’s a lot at stake right now, and not just for businesses with government contracts. Enough with the code, what’s the real issue here? One word: Trust. Every established brand is a promise. That promise combines both its words and actions over time. A brand that promises to be a good corporate citizen and demonstrates its commitment via actions earns goodwill with multiple stakeholders, including employees, customers, prospects, partners, and influencers. A sudden shift in actions (like dropping DEI or ESG programs) can break that goodwill and or diminish trust. Get real, Righteous Drew. Aren’t the risks of non-compliance with the new political correctness too great to stand on one’s high horse? Indeed, much of the S&P 500 thinks so. The New York Times reported last week that the language “diversity, equity and inclusion” has been scrubbed from 200 of the 350 S&P 500 companies that had mentioned it. According to the NYTimes, many felt obligated to do so based on “an executive order that instructed federal agencies to investigate ‘illegal D.E.I.’ in the private sector.” It’s even more serious for companies or institutions dependent upon government or red-state contracts. If they want to keep these contracts or get new ones, they must scrub their websites of the 30 or so trigger words, such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate change. We’re talking about millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Aren’t most of these big companies just using different words? Yes, some are. These companies are softening or replacing words like “equity” with “belonging” or “inclusiveness” with “fairness.” In these cases, the policies, programs, and staffing behind the words aren’t changing. Coach Drew approves. Other companies, big and small, have not just abandoned the words; they’ve eliminated the programs. Now we’re in reputational damage territory. Certain stakeholders will wonder if they can ever trust the company again. Righteous Drew is fretting. Costco decided not to change its DEI policies, while Walmart did. Both brands have a lot at stake. Thus far in 2025, CostCo’s stock is down 2%, while Walmart’s is down 6%. It's too early to measure the impact (if any) these changes will have on revenue, employee retention, etc., but it will be fascinating to watch them play out. Righteous Drew thanks Costco for its bravery. Bottom line: This decision to change your corporate policies is way bigger than marketing. C-Suites and investors need to be part of the conversation. For a guide on how marketers can help guide these conversations, see the link to my post on RenegadeMarketing.com in a comment below. [Ping me: I’d love to hear how your company is responding to all of this]

Remember when Target was the poster child for progress? Now, they’re making headlines for ditching their DEI promises faster than you can say “rebrand.” Programs to boost Black workforce numbers and champion Black-owned brands? Axed. Boycotts and a drop in store traffic quickly followed. Foot traffic is down up to an estimated 7%. The stock is down 40%. Since January. Props to Elizabeth Segran, Ph.D., who brilliantly chronicled Target's struggles in FastCompany this week. Here’s the truth: Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) isn’t a seasonal marketing campaign. It’s not an “add to cart” feature you remove when things get tricky. It’s a core business value—just like quality, innovation, and customer service. Hitting pause on equity sends a message: values are negotiable. Spoiler: customers and employees notice. Here’s what happens when I&D is woven into your company’s DNA: ➡️ Employees trust you and show up as their full selves. ➡️ Customers stick around because they see themselves reflected in your brand. ➡️ Your company is better positioned to weather storms—boycotts included. Ignoring I&D? That’s the fastest way to fracture trust and lose loyalty. The fix isn’t rocket science, but it also isn’t for the faint of heart. Own your missteps. Be transparent—no empty PR apologies. Listen, learn, and act—over and over again. Business leaders: Are you leading with authenticity, or just hoping no one notices when you backpedal? It's never too late to reaffirm your commitments. ⚡️ #DEI #inclusion #diversity #strategy #values