Activists feel they are on a winning streak as Canadian-American brewing and beverage company Molson Coors announced changes to its company policies in an internal memo on Wednesday that will reverse some of their diversity, equity, and inclusion measures.
This move from Coors joins a growing list of several major companies that are changing course following high-pressure social media campaigns from conservative and “anti-woke” activists.
Internal Memo
According to a Coors memo obtained by CNBC that was sent out internally on September 4, the company is getting rid of supplier diversity quotas and some other DEI staple policies.
“We are ensuring our executive incentives are tied to business performance and do not include aspirational representation goals beginning next year,” said the memo.
Next Phase
In the memo, Coors framed the change as “the next evolution” as it also intends to change company DEI-based training programs.
Coors also committed to stopping participation in voluntary company rankings like those from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. In the past, the company had a perfect 100 score on this index.
Impacting Employees
According to the memo, though changes at the company are coming, executives assured current employees that they would still support a welcoming culture.
“This will not impact the benefits we provide our employees, nor will it change or diminish our commitment to fostering a strong culture where every one of our employees knows they are welcome at our bar,” the company said.
Activists Taking Credit
Robby Starbuck, an influential anti-DEI activist who has been behind counter DEI pushes against several large companies, celebrated the move by Coors on social media.
“Big news: Last week I messaged executives from @CoorsLight @MolsonCoors to let them know that I planned to expose their woke policies. Today they’re preemptively making changes,” Starbuck wrote in an X post.
In Development Previously
Although Starbuck appeared to take credit for Coors by mentioning his past message last week with executives, in the memo, Coors stated that the changes have “been in process since March.”
Still, it’s hard to imagine that anti-DEI activist posts, which get millions of views on social media, had nothing to do with the company’s decision to go public with the changes now.
Reacting to Fear
Starbuck in his post bragged about the influence activists now have over corporations, who have to preemptively change their policies before they get targeted by anti-DEI forces.
“Our campaigns are so effective that we’re getting multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without me even posting just from the fear they have of being the next company that we expose,” wrote Starbuck.
Past Victories
In his X post, Starbuck also took a moment to list previous companies where his activism had seen positive results.
“So far you’ve helped me change corporate policy at Tractor Supply, John Deere, Harley Davidson, Polaris, Indian Motorcycle, Lowe’s, Ford and now Coors. We are a force to be reckoned with and we won’t stop until wokeness is extinct,” Starbuck wrote.
What Do Activists Want?
Anti-woke activists like Starbuck are capitalizing on a rising tide of resentment against DEI policies implemented in major companies in recent years.
“The landscape of corporate America is quickly shifting to sanity and neutrality. We are now the trend, not the anomaly,” Starbuck wrote in his X post. “We are winning and one by one we WILL bring sanity back to corporate America. “
Following Through
Some online questioned the efficacy of these activist social media campaigns, wondering how companies can be held accountable for following through on their promises.
“Question is, are these companies actually following through with these changes are just saying these things to avoid the Bud light treatment?” wrote an X user.
Keeping an Eye
In response to this concern, Starbuck asserted that if companies go back on their word, they would get exposed.
“Our sources have eyes on them. We will report if they don’t do the right thing,” Starbuck wrote.
What Companies Wanted
Some have speculated that this recent string of companies falling in line against DEI policies suggests that they were waiting for the right opportunity to do it without being singled out.
“Perhaps you and what you represent is finally giving the much-needed ‘excuse’ for them to fold and go back to a sense of normalcy. Maybe they wanted to but needed a way to save face. I hope that’s the case so that the changes have a better chance to stick,” wrote an X user.
