The news: The corporate world is facing a crossroads with diversity in marketing. As President Donald Trump moves to eliminate DEI programs from the federal government, brands are grappling with how to navigate the shifting political landscape. Some are pulling back on public commitments, while others are finding new ways to balance inclusion and risk management.
Zooming out:
- Companies are scaling back DEI initiatives in response to federal pressure. The Trump administration issued an executive order rolling back DEI programs across government agencies, and major corporations including Target, Walmart, and McDonald’s have followed suit, per PR Week. In some cases, companies have ended structured DEI goals, stopped reporting diversity progress, or repositioned initiatives under different terminology.
- Public DEI campaigns are disappearing, but internal efforts remain. Instead of launching external campaigns, many brands are shifting DEI efforts in-house. General Mills and Procter & Gamble continue to support Black History Month through employee programs, per PR Week, while others like Google have quietly removed mentions of cultural moments from Google Calendar and cut back its DEI commitments.