Apr 8

Gen Z demands accountability amid corporate DEI rollbacks

How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about companies?

This Ad Age article Gen Z demands accountability amid corporate DEI rollbacks, is packed with important survey results.

• Gen Z consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that prioritizes DEI in their business practices.

• Seventy percent of U.S. adults expect brands to follow through on the social stances they take, with millennials (76%) and Gen X (71%) showing slightly higher expectations.

• Adult Gen Z consumers are more inclined to alter buying habits when brands shift their support for social causes.

• Nearly one in five (19%) U.S. adults said they have stopped using or purchasing from a brand because its approach to DEI contradicted or reversed previous efforts.

From the article, "Despite mounting consumer expectations for brands to stand firm on their social values, major companies such as Amazon, Target and PepsiCo are scaling back or scrapping diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives altogether—a move that reflects a broader corporate shift away from public commitments to racial equity.

The retreat comes at a cost: Nearly one in five (19%) U.S. adults said they have stopped using or purchasing from a brand because its approach to DEI contradicted or reversed previous efforts, according to a new Ad Age-Harris Poll. Another 19% said they disengaged from a brand because its stance didn’t seem genuine. The Ad Age-Harris Poll was conducted in March among 1,088 U.S. adults."

Here's my take - 
The generational shift is shaking every workplace. Boomers retire. More and more Gen Zers join Gen Xers and Millennials - bringing all their unique values, perspectives and styles of communication. 

It's not going to get any easier. And this generational shift is coinciding with the changing demographics of the younger workforce. 

As the article concludes, "... companies are faced with a choice: prioritize consistent values or risk alienating key audiences by offering only intermittent support based on shifting cultural or political winds." 

Check out the GenShift masterclass and learn about each generation. 

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