Post-2020, diversity, equity, and inclusion became the corporate buzzwords of the moment. Statements were made, hashtags posted, pledges announced. But four years on, many of those same organisations are quietly cutting budgets, disbanding DEI teams, or letting commitments fade into the background.
And the issue comes down to the fact that values aren’t campaigns. They’re not something you can switch on during a crisis and quietly shelve once the spotlight dims. They’re how you show up when you think no one’s watching. And, as the Edelman Trust Barometer shows, your audience is always paying attention.
At MIH, we partner with brands who understand DEI as long-term infrastructure. Not performative activism, but an authentic commitment to building trust from the inside out.
The rise and retreat of corporate DEI
In 2020, diversity, equity and inclusion became front-page news. Across Australia and the world, organisations scrambled to release statements, launch campaigns, and announce bold new commitments. For a moment, it looked like DEI had finally claimed its rightful place at the centre of business strategy.
But as the headlines faded, so did many of those promises. Some organisations quietly cut DEI roles, slashed budgets, or rolled back initiatives that had been loudly celebrated just a few years earlier.
This isn’t just an anecdotal observation, there are hard stats that back it up: the Diversity Council Australia’s Inclusion@Work Index reveals that while inclusive practices deliver measurable benefits to employees and organisations, commitment is uneven and often fragile when times get tough.
This retreat sends a clear message: for some brands, DEI was never more than a campaign moment. And the consequences are significant. As the Edelman Trust Barometer highlights, today’s audiences expect consistency between what companies say and what they do. When DEI is treated like a trend, it undermines both trust and credibility.
We believe brands can’t afford to treat inclusion as optional.
Because audiences notice when you quietly walk back your values.
How brands prove what they stand for
It’s easy to talk about values. It’s harder to live by them. And it’s harder again to keep an organisation operating according to them.
When diversity, equity and inclusion get reduced to a campaign, it shows. A glossy ad or a carefully worded statement might generate attention in the moment, but people quickly look for proof behind the words. Employees notice who gets promoted. Customers notice whose voices are represented in marketing, which talent gets cast, which influencers get invited. Partners notice whether supply chains reflect stated commitments.
As the Diversity Council Australia’s Inclusion@Work Index makes clear, inclusion isn’t a one-off project, it’s about the everyday systems and choices that shape how people experience your organisation. The Australian Human Rights Commission echoes this, emphasising that genuine inclusion must be embedded into recruitment, workplace culture, and leadership accountability, not treated as a side initiative.
When values are only expressed in campaigns, they lose their power. They stop being a source of trust and start looking like spin. And once audiences see the gap, rebuilding credibility is an uphill battle.
At MIH, we see the strongest brands prove their values in daily choices. Who they hire, how they lead, what suppliers they back– not just the campaigns they launch.
What does performative activism really cost your organisation?
When DEI is treated like a PR exercise, the fallout is predictable. And expensive.
At NAB’s 2024 AGM, shareholders publicly questioned whether the bank’s diversity commitments were little more than window dressing, pointing to ongoing failures in addressing customer hardship. The resulting headlines framed NAB as out of touch, despite its stated values.
1. Reputation Risk
The quickest way to lose credibility is to make promises you don’t keep. Performative activism is easy to spot, and the Australian Human Rights Commission notes that tokenism often sparks backlash that can take years to repair.
2. Employee Disengagement
Your people notice when inclusion is deprioritised. Underrepresented employees in particular see when leadership signals that DEI is optional. According to the Diversity Council Australia’s Inclusion@Work Index, inclusive organisations are not only more innovative but also see higher employee satisfaction and retention. When inclusion slips, disengagement follows.
3. Customer Loyalty
Audiences are savvy. They look for alignment between what brands say and what they do. A brand that only shows up for DEI when it’s trending risks alienating customers who increasingly expect consistent, values-driven behaviour. At MIH, we see loyalty deepen when inclusion is part of the everyday brand experience — not just a seasonal campaign.
4. Competitive Disadvantage
The business case for DEI is proven. Companies that embed diversity into strategy consistently outperform peers, as shown in McKinsey’s “Diversity Wins”. Brands that reduce DEI to a box-ticking exercise miss out on innovation, creativity, and growth.
How do leading brands make inclusion part of their DNA?
DEI is a long term commitment that involves embedding inclusion into the systems, structures, and everyday choices that define how a brand operates. The difference between a campaign and a commitment comes down to consistency, and there are five clear signals that show when an organisation is serious.
1. Leadership Accountability
Real change starts at the top. DEI can’t be delegated to HR or a single diversity officer; it has to be owned by leadership. When executives model inclusive behaviour, set measurable goals, and hold themselves accountable for progress, DEI shifts from a side initiative to a business priority. Leaders who don’t just sign off on the values but live them day to day send a powerful signal to employees and customers alike.
2. Sustained Investment
A genuine DEI strategy isn’t the first thing to be cut when budgets tighten. Brands that keep funding and resourcing their initiatives, even when the headlines fade, show they’re in it for the long haul.
Take Asahi Beverages’ HerWorkplace program: co-designed with more than 70 women across its manufacturing sites, the initiative addressed practical needs often overlooked in male-dominated environments. From pregnancy-friendly uniforms to sanitary product access and breastfeeding spaces, these operational changes directly improved the day-to-day experience for employees. The program won the 2025 Best DEI Initiative at the Australian Drinks Awards, but more importantly, it showed staff that their voices had been heard and acted on.
3. Inclusive Marketing & Design
Representation can’t stop at glossy campaigns. It has to extend into products, benefits, and customer experiences. Mecca offers a strong example. Recognising the gender superannuation gap, the retailer committed to continuing super contributions for staff on extended parental leave.
On the surface, it’s a financial policy. But at its core, it’s a brand statement: we understand systemic inequities, and we’re willing to act on them. This initiative has been highlighted by the Australian Retailers Association as an industry-leading practice, generating positive sentiment among both employees and consumers who see it as evidence of values in action.
4. Internal Culture & Operations
Culture is built through systems that protect and empower employees. That means having employee resource groups, safe channels for feedback, and policies that support diverse needs. Telstra’s Accessibility & Inclusion Action Plan 2023–25 illustrates this well. The plan includes initiatives on workplace accessibility, recruitment pathways for people with disability, and digital inclusion programs for customers. Their progress report details not only successes but areas where more work is needed, reinforcing transparency as part of accountability.
5. Transparency & Progress
Audiences don’t expect perfection, but they do expect honesty. Brands that publish clear goals, share updates, and acknowledge setbacks earn more trust than those that only release polished wins. Transparency transforms DEI from an abstract value into a measurable, visible commitment.
The common thread in all these examples is that DEI isn’t treated as a seasonal talking point — it’s baked into the infrastructure of how these companies work. This is the level we push clients toward: moving from performative gestures to the practical systems that prove values every day. Because consistent inclusion builds the kind of brand with trust that lasts.
Turning commitments into strategy
We work with organisations who want their values to hold up under scrutiny. Not just in glossy campaigns, but in the everyday ways they show up for employees, customers, and communities.
That means embedding inclusion into brand strategy from the ground up: shaping messaging that reflects authentic commitments, designing campaigns that avoid tokenism, and strengthening internal communications so teams can live the values they talk about.
We know that audiences, whether they’re consumers, donors, or employees, are quick to notice when there’s a gap between words and actions. Our job is to help close that gap. By aligning internal culture with external storytelling, we support brands to move from performative gestures to genuine, long-term impact.
Because when your values are visible and consistent, trust follows.
Ready to Make Your DEI Commitment Real?
If you want your brand’s values to hold up long after the headlines fade, let’s talk. Book a free consultation with MIH and start building a strategy that proves your commitment. Every day, on every channel.
Book your free 30-minute consultation today
