A cold wind is blowing from the West. Companies that have profiled themselves for years as champions of inclusion and sustainability are suddenly slowing down. Especially because the political climate in the United States is forcing them to do so. This can have direct consequences for the way in which we communicate about social involvement in the Netherlands.
Under Trump, diversity programs have been banned in government agencies, “woke” has been made an enemy, and companies are facing legal pressure to water down their inclusivity policies. There is also a list of words that can no longer be used. Deloitte and Accenture have cut parts of their diversity programs. Consultants are being asked to remove their pronouns from email signatures. McDonald’s, Google, Amazon, and many other multinationals are following suit. Shell is consciously choosing to pump oil and gas again, and environmental goals are fading into the background. Social media are stopping to check for disinformation and blocking hate speech from their platforms. Multinationals are moving their operations to the United States, partly to avoid trade barriers but also because they expect less criticism of their policy choices there.
Ben & Jerry's, which was a model of brand activism for years, also suffered hard blows. This recently resulted in the dismissal of the CEO. While Unilever had previously cherished the social positioning of this company by granting them their own board of directors. This poses a dilemma for Dutch communication professionals. Companies with an American head office feel the pressure to scale back their social positioning. And the communication teams in the Netherlands have to explain why diversity programs are being scrapped and why climate ambitions are suddenly communicated less prominently. Was the previous policy that CEOs advocated 'real' or a form of greenwashing or window dressing? How do you remain credible when your story suddenly changes?
The question is not whether, but how we respond to this. Do we join this trend, or do we stand for what we stand for? It is crucial now more than ever for communication professionals to take our role seriously. Companies that let their social commitment disappear without explanation risk more than just a critical tweet. Reputational damage is lurking. This is the time not to bow to the whims of American politics, but to hold on to European values of sustainability, inclusion and fair trade. Employees and consumers expect companies to contribute to society, not to remain silent for fear of political headwinds.
It won't always be easy. Dutch companies with an American parent company are facing pressure from above. But that is precisely where the opportunity lies: communication professionals can show that social positioning is a long-term strategy that not only strengthens reputation and customer confidence, but also the support of young employees. Let's stand our ground. Don't keep quiet because it's easier for a while, but keep talking. Credibility and social relevance are not non-committal marketing terms. They are the core of a future-proof business strategy. Let's not judge each other in this, but support each other. And let's prevent it from becoming Trump-washing.
Now is the time to show what we really stand for.
This column by Mayke van Keep was previously published in trade journal C, the sheet of tradeassociation Logeion.
