Advertising Age published yet another pro-DEIBA+ perspective bound to join all other advocacy rants in the literal and figurative trash bin. That is, the content presents more revolutionary rhetoric that’ll inspire disdain, disinterest, and indifference.
The Op-Ed’s title claims brands are botching DEIBA+—yet the viewpoint is unintentionally botching its defense.
To put a twist on the definition of insanity attributed to Albert Einstein, “Insanity is saying and/or publishing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Illustrating the exposition with royalty-free stock images doesn’t help either.
Brands and White advertising agencies have steadfastly ignored the passionate pleas for progress. Hell, even threats of boycotts and legal action have gone unheeded.
The root issue is not that anyone is botching DEIBA+; rather, it reflects the seemingly endless support and success of systemic racism.
How brands are botching DE&I—and what to do instead
By Lameya Chaudhury
Let’s call it how it is: Brands aren’t running out of values—they’re running out of nerve. Somewhere along the way, DE&I stopped feeling like a business driver and started looking like a PR liability.
Done badly, DE&I is theater
The term got hijacked, siloed and recycled into corporate diversity days, happy-clappy LinkedIn slideshows and echoed in branded panels that look like an Instagram carousel of performative allyship—the kind that mysteriously empowers only the speakers.
Let’s be clear, I’m not cussing out DE&I. It’s absolutely vital. I’m saying it’s been done badly, and when DE&I is done badly, it doesn’t shout progress, it signals risk. Remember Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner moment and the annual Pride Month panic-post? No brand wants to be the punchline.
This makes it very easy for brands to ditch when things get political. Because if your DE&I strategy doesn’t touch your actual work, your customers or your bottom line, then it’s scenery, not a strategy.
Walk the walk
The solution is not how your brand talks, but how it behaves.
It’s the unsexy stuff no one posts about: who gets paid, who’s in the room and whether you’re reshaping systems or just recycling stories. It takes hard work and a long-game mindset.
Because the brands that do this properly aren’t just more likable. They’re more bankable.
Don’t take my word for it
Spoiler alert: The brands doing this properly? They’re not just righteous, they’re also cashing in. And not in an abstract “hearts and minds” kind of way, but in real commercial terms.
When brands walk the walk, it fuels innovation, reduces reputational risk, builds brand resilience and unlocks growth in previously overlooked markets. It helps you attract top talent, retain loyal customers and get ahead of regulatory and cultural shifts before they become problems.
According to the Unstereotype Alliance (I know, it sounds like a Marvel spin-off, but trust me, it’s done the work), inclusive brands enjoy:
• 16.26% higher long-term sales
• 3.46% boost in short-term sales
• 54% more pricing power
• 15% better customer loyalty
• 33% more likely to be the first choice for consumers
That’s not fluffy “woke” fantasy. That’s cold, hard ROI.
You don’t have to choose between doing good and doing well. The data says you can do both, and frankly, in this economy, you should.
From DE&I to real impact
Here’s the shift clients can make:
Less “How do we look diverse?” More “How do we create systemic change through our actual business?”
That means asking:
• Are your ethics built into your supply chain or just your social feed?
• Are you creating change with communities or just marketing at them?
• Are you measuring outcomes or clinging to output?
And yet, while some brands are pushing forward, others are moonwalking backward, scrubbing public references to their DEI efforts, or renaming the program altogether.
Such changes prioritize optics over outcomes. But if advertising wants to keep its seat at the grown-up table, we need to do better.
The truth is: A diverse casting brief means jack if your exec team isn’t. And don’t even talk to me about your B Corp badge if your agency’s still pitching for fossil fuels.
Play the long game or get played
Things feel tense. The right is loud, the center is slippery and your legal team has just asked if the word “solidarity” could be replaced with “support adjacency.”
But backing away from impact won’t protect your brand; it will just make you forgettable. The real risk is not doing too much, but doing nothing at all.
Actions give brands a way to lead without shouting. To grow without exploiting. To connect without co-opting. It’s not a trend. It’s not a CSR rebrand. It’s a competitive advantage with a conscience.
So, if you want to get it right:
• Sort your own house out first
• Stop outsourcing the hard stuff to just casting briefs
•And commit for the long haul, not just the launch day
In the end, you’ve got two choices: Be part of the backlash or build the bounce-back.
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