Manager and community member at a FAANG here. That’s frequently said, and it is certainly partly true. However, there’s a couple of other factors that also play into it.
First, yes, companies are aware that they are a brand, and maintaining their brand is a big deal. Diversity and inclusion are huge as parts of their brand identity. It’s what customers expect.
Second, though, is the employees. Coors was and remains a right wing company politically. However, they were also among the first companies in the US to extend married couple benefits to same sex partner households due to employee pressure. It’s not just the LGBT customers, it’s the employees (current and future) that push for companies to take public positions on the issues as well as make resources available internally.
Third, there are community members and allies throughout leadership as well as management and staff. They are the ones to make these kinds of calls.
I’ll be the first to call a company like Target out for rainbow washing, but it usually flows pretty smoothly. As someone who grew up in a very different America, I will take what we can get - especially these days.
Manager and community member at a FAANG here. That’s frequently said, and it is certainly partly true. However, there’s a couple of other factors that also play into it.
First, yes, companies are aware that they are a brand, and maintaining their brand is a big deal. Diversity and inclusion are huge as parts of their brand identity. It’s what customers expect.
Second, though, is the employees. Coors was and remains a right wing company politically. However, they were also among the first companies in the US to extend married couple benefits to same sex partner households due to employee pressure. It’s not just the LGBT customers, it’s the employees (current and future) that push for companies to take public positions on the issues as well as make resources available internally.
Third, there are community members and allies throughout leadership as well as management and staff. They are the ones to make these kinds of calls.
I’ll be the first to call a company like Target out for rainbow washing, but it usually flows pretty smoothly. As someone who grew up in a very different America, I will take what we can get - especially these days.