At Tangerine, we were recently joined by Dr Christopher Owen, founder of Coliberate, to deliver an interactive session on allyship. It prompted fantastic discussion and real changes for us to explore as an agency. It also brought out questions about the current pressure for brands to reconsider DEI commitments, and how that is positioned against a backdrop of global scrutiny.

Doing the right thing has long been a commitment for many businesses, with marketing and comms teams articulating and demonstrating the action behind this promise. But, what that looks like in practice has changed.

The business community has made progress in its understanding of the experience of the global majority in the workplace, spurred on by a broader movement towards improving the experience of marginalised communities. In this context, many businesses and marketers understood that doing the right thing meant improving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the workplaces, as well as an external focus.

Taking a step back

However, DEI’s transition from doing the right thing to political football has seen businesses both loudly and quietly stepping away from their commitments. Some of these decisions have been accelerated as the Trump administration actively removes what it calls ‘harmful’ DEI initiatives from its programmes, and external comms.

The current scrutiny and politicisation of DEI, particularly in the United States, begs an important and tricky question; how do comms professionals keep doing the right thing when met with clients who believe DEI is bad for business?

The answer needs to start at home. Being aligned as partners is key to success, and a business’s position on DEI or its equivalent should be part of that conversation. This conversation is as much about the people in both businesses as it is the outward picture — will people feel able to be their true selves with this partner and put their true selves into this work?

Language is key

The language we use in these conversations is important; if DEI is too hot for a brand to touch, we can interrogate their values and focus on the action they’re taking to improve the communities they’re a part of?

One of the most insightful things we heard in Dr Owen’s session is that we can evolve the language we use as advocates for inclusivity best practice. We can talk about and champion freedom for people working in the business to be who they really are.

Agencies, as businesses themselves, have an opportunity to lead by example, not just with outward rhetoric, but in internal processes that undoubtedly rub off on clients. Taking a do as I do approach extends to the work marketers pitch to their clients. The industry needs to keep proposing positive campaigns, and keep knocking them out the park. This success sends a message more powerful than a nudge in a meeting, one that says “this is how we do it, and it works”.

DEI isn’t dead, but there’s no ignoring that doing the right thing can mean something different now. We will have the biggest impact if we can evolve and grow as advocates.