A Wren Says

When the Trump administration entered office, they put in place several measures to discourage previous DEI initiatives. In no uncertain terms, it was clear that those organizations that continued to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion publicly would now have target on their backs. Perhaps Target took that too literally. Almost immediately, they rolled back all of their DEI measures, including support for Black founders and businesses. And consumers, who had supported the brand largely for those reasons, took notice.

The People’s Union and Pastor Jamal Bryant both called for a boycott of the brand. It wasn’t just a social media announcement, the movement had legs. Target store traffic and sales are down. The CEO reached out for a meeting with Al Sharpton to figure out a way forward. They are trying to do what it takes to bring people back. Well, perhaps everything except address what caused them to leave in the first place.

Target made a glaring error in how they responded. After years of championing Black founders, supporting communities, and championing inclusive environments, Target corporation walked it all back. Those initiatives were core to how people viewed the brand.  The sweeping rollback caused them to jeopardize their brand image.

To continue their PR nightmare, as they tried to address the issue with Al Sharpton, media continue to point out that it wasn’t Sharpton who called for the boycotts. It makes them appear disingenuous and not interested in truly addressing the problem.

In contrast, other brands saw the writing on the wall. Apple, Disney, and Costco shareholders all voted to maintain DEI measures. Despite current political environment, those measures are good for business.

Perhaps Target will begin to reinstate the policies, but it might be perceived as too little too late. That swift action revealed something about the brand that likely won’t be repaired without a shift in corporate leadership and authentic community outreach.