Woke = Broke, Now and Forever!

Earlier this summer, Wired declared that the era of “woke” brand activism had quietly come to an end, as corporate titans scrambled to shed every trace of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) optics in the face of mounting conservative backlash. Major sponsors like Mastercard, PepsiCo, and Citi simply stopped renewing their platinum-level commitments to the New York City Pride March, leaving organizers scrambling to plug a seven-figure hole in their budgets. No longer content to rainbows and feel-good ads, these brands have pivoted instead to “ultra-patriotic” messaging—think American flags, “Back the Badge” blurbs, and stealth support for anti-DEI policy pushes.

This retreat was sparked in part by the notorious Bud Light disaster of 2023, where a single transgender-influencer partnership reportedly cost Anheuser-Busch over $395 million in market value—proof positive that “woke-washing” comes with a steep price tag. In response, boardrooms across Corporate America began to whisper: “Let’s just be boring again.” Gillette’s celebrated 2019 Pride ad? Vanished. Walmart’s rainbow‐striped ads? Replaced by “Shop American, Buy American” placards.

Yet woke "experts" warn this retreat isn’t harmless: pulling back on DEI undermines genuine workplace diversity, stifles creative voices, and leaves consumers cynically wondering if any cause is more than a marketing stunt.

As if! These must be the same "experts" that advised on the draconian COVID-19 policies. We are tired of McKinsey and Co. trying to tell us right from wrong!

Far From Woke verdict: Go woke, go broke! There was a time when profits and shareholder value mattered, let's go back to that!