With issues like reproductive rights and affirmative action at the center of evermore heated debates in the U.K and U.S., many brands — including Ford, Loewe’s and Molson Coors — are pulling back from DEI pledges they made in the wake of the widespread 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
Elsewhere, a damaging 2023 boycott of Bud Light over a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has driven some brands away from LGBTQ+ marketing and representation.
A recent study from the ANA found that despite 82% of marketers believing there’s still significant room for more LGBTQ+ representation, just 55% of brands actively marketed to or included the community in their work. 39% feared potential blowback from consumers for doing so.
With a second Donald Trump presidency looming, attendees at the Nov. 15 Adcolor conference in Los Angeles, which promotes DEI in the ad industry, told ADWEEK they were still processing the former Apprentice host’s victory, and spoke about what it means to engage with a population that’s both extremely divided and extremely diverse.
“It’s time to figure out what these new rules are, strategize, and move forward,” said L.J. Louis, WPP’s global chief talent and inclusion officer, during a panel with four other agency holding company diversity execs.
