Gen Z isn't buying Black History Month campaigns from brands scaling back on DEI

Despite President Donald Trump’s DEI ban and decisions from companies like Meta and Walmart to scale back on diversity policies and programs, diversity, equity and inclusion remains a critical issue for PR professionals. And, for Gen Zers, it's nonnegotiable. 

As brands and their agency partners continue to walk back on initiatives and reevaluate language around DEI, the communications industry faces a pivotal decision: stay silent or push for inclusive, meaningful representation in their campaigns.

Gen Z professionals leverage platforms like TikTok and Instagram to participate in conversations, amplify voices, challenge norms and demand more than surface-level change.  

To meet those demands, brands need to show up in ways that go beyond social media moments and align communications strategies with companies’ public commitments by creating purpose-driven campaigns that showcase values, uplift audience voices and align with social causes in ways that go beyond aesthetics. 

Dove’s 2023 Code My Crown campaign, for example, highlighted the company’s dedication to showcasing diverse and accurate depictions of hair through its instructional guide that taught developers to code Black hair texture and protective styles in video games. The campaign put DEI-imperatives at its center to create more inclusive beauty standards in real and alternative realities, showing its commitment to the brand’s Black consumers.

Companies that fail to consider these diverse perspectives often face negative effects on their brand reputation. 

Target is known to partner with Black-owned brands and businesses and promotes an annual Black History Month collection. But the retailer’s recent decision to end its DEI initiatives after spending five years advertising those values puts forth a conflicting message. 

The brand tried to have it both ways — publicly celebrating Black History Month through social media posts and in-store promotions, while concurrently pulling back support for the communities they claim to uplift. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Target (@target)

Target is just one of many brands that has publicly championed communities during commemorative months like Black History Month while failing to show genuine, action-oriented support for those groups outside of these moments.

Social media campaigns and hashtags like #BoycottTarget are being used to call out brand inauthenticity. Organizing rights collectives We Are Somebody and Until Freedom have called for a monthlong boycott of Target, particularly during Black History Month this year, and are encouraging consumers to instead purchase directly from Black-owned brands. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by We Are Somebody (@strikeforall)

Social media provides a space for consumers to hold companies accountable and Gen Z, the social media generation, is behind many of the movements looking to expose inauthenticity and demand change from the companies they financially support. 

Gen Z closely examines brand behavior and is making note of companies that publicly celebrate Black history through posts to consumers but internally end programs that financially elevate minority communities. 

Our generation is shaping the future of DEI by pushing for authentic representation and systematic change, ensuring that our industry mirrors the diverse world we live in. 

Posting alone isn’t enough to cover anti-DEI behavior anymore. Brands have to speak up and act, or risk losing Gen Z’s support.

Kayla Marrero is an assistant account executive at Adfero.