[Editor's note: In honor of Black History Month and PRSA's confirmed commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, our contributing writer looks at how PR professionals can safeguard DEI communications in a divisive political environment.]
Target. Meta. Walmart. Amazon. McDonald’s. Lowe’s. Google. Ford. Harley-Davidson. JPMorgan Chase. Morgan Stanley. Pepsi. Best Buy. Citigroup. Disney. PBS. Deloitte. John Deere. Brown-Forman. This list includes some of the world’s biggest brands that have completely dismantled their DEI initiatives, programs and departments as a result of political pushback from the President Donald Trump's new administration.
All of this comes after each one of these companies made lofty promises and pledges that pushed for DEI to address systemic barriers in 2020 amidst the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd’s murder. Many of these brands jumped on the bandwagon and flocked to post black squares to their social media pages and vowed to do anything to win over a customer base they failed to engage with prior. Fast forward five years later and the genuine intention of their promises appear as broken. And a report from eMarketer showed that brands viewed Black History Month as an "opportunity to make long-term commitments over short-term sales.”
Why The DEI Pushback?
Soon after taking office, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to end DEI, claiming that it fosters illegal preferences and discrimination. Once this happened, DEI officially became a political weapon, which caused the above companies and many more to walk back on commitments that were made—and to instead give in to political pressure.
Since the DEI pushback there have been lawsuits and boycotts from consumers to halt spending their money at brands like Target. Consumers are fighting back. Circulating social media posts show February 28th as a nationwide economic blackout that calls for Americans to avoid buying anything from brands that have rolled back DEI and instead shop small businesses instead.
Some of the above brands may have profited in the past off of making a quick dollar from DEI-branded merchandise and initiatives, but are they prepared to feel the negative impacts of rolling back DEI that will ultimately prevent them from building long term customer relationships?
How DEI PR Can Triumph?
So who is doing DEI communications successfully? Costco. The company stood firm on its DEI values and addressed its employees, customers, and stakeholders with reasoning as to why it’s doing so. As a result, shoppers have flocked to the store in support of them.
It’s natural for PR professionals to be cautious about DEI in its current state. Here’s how to feel empowered while navigating this tricky landscape.
- Debunk misinformation. The false rhetoric coming out of the DEI rollbacks has got to be addressed head-on. For example, there are myths going around claiming that DEI allows unqualified, or rather, incompetent people to take opportunities away from those more qualified. And that it is reverse discrimination. Own the narrative with the powerful tool of storytelling, and get the truth out there by communicating effectively the actual benefits of DEI. It’s time to rely on data—let the numbers show that DEI is great for business. It can feel intimidating right now, however, amidst that noise is an opportunity to set the record straight. Only when this happens can there be an honest dialogue that starts to create a more inclusive environment.
- Communicate with authenticity. Building trust is crucial. Many of the messaging around DEI has been misinterpreted, which has only caused more confusion and fear. This includes the belief that DEI is illegal, when really it’s designed and grounded in federal and state laws to promote fairness. This is a chance to ensure that what your organization is saying around DEI can not be misunderstood. Get to the crux of what you are doing. Explain in detail what’s changing, and why it’s changing as DEI is clearly going through an evolution. How you communicate internally and externally all needs to be considered. Ensure that leaders are involved so that there are consistencies in place. Press releases, and social media posts aren't going to be enough. That’s not the connection that people are looking for.
- Understand what DEI is. DEI is more than just race. Let’s get that clear. It's about accessibility and gender and celebrating differences. If this isn’t grasped, doing your job is going to be incredibly challenging. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued, and can thrive despite their background. It’s about everything that makes us each unique, and why together that only can mean that we’re better and stronger. Communicate that DEI is not meant to be divisive. There are many facets to DEI, which is why it’s up to PR professionals to help reframe the positioning in order to make it less hostile.
Brennan Nevada Johnson is Founder & CEO of Brennan Nevada Inc.