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I try to avoid politics when I talk about marketing. But unfortunately there are too many things that influence the world of advertising and communication from the government. And that is even more the case when it comes to Marketing the Rainbow. I look at the US.

Economic damage

A while ago I wrote about how Mike Pence, as governor, caused his state of Indiana about six billion in economic damage in a period of a few months by restricting diversity. In that case it was about vague rules regarding freedom of religion. It gave citizens the right to discriminate, for example a baker who could refuse to make a cake for a lesbian bridal couple. It did not go unnoticed: the backlash was enormous, and he tried in vain to back down. That was even before he crawled into bed with Trump. Although he is still anti-woke and goes for ‘traditional values’ (so probably still no lesbian pie), he is currently one of the few Republicans who is willing to publicly criticize his former boss.

On the second day of his second term, the boss signed an executive order banning diversity policy (DE&I), not only within the government – ​​federal departments, defense and at the state level – but also among suppliers. And then you get a big ripple effect. Which has a direct impact on marketing and communication.

Some companies had already cut their losses, such as Jack Daniel’s and Harley-Davidson (read From drag queens to anti-woke). Others quickly followed, especially to avoid ending up in the White House’s corner of doom: former role model Accenture is a dramatic example, but also think of the cowardly, formerly progressive Google, with their “Gulf of America”.

Europe

However, the stone in the pond is causing even bigger waves, which are now also reaching Europe. Newspapers reported how the American embassy in France had sent a letter to French companies demanding that they end their diversity policy. If they don’t, they will lose their contracts with the American government. The French government reacted furiously, but in the meantime, Le Pen is at the top of the list for the next presidential elections (okay, maybe her conviction for fraud will come in between). So what are the French companies going to do? And what will happen in the rest of Europe? We’ll wait and see…

NB: papers writes that Trump is taking these steps to “prevent positive discrimination”, but that goes a step too far for me. It gives a somewhat valid argument to the witch hunt. DE&I is not about that, but much more about ‘allowing everyone to be themselves’. Trump couldn’t care less.

You would think that even an abolished DE&I policy would still leave room for diversity in marketing, but the hawk eye of Musk et al is lurking. Brands are playing it safe.

Tourism

At the state level, the rights of American queers can be protected (which is explicitly the case in fifteen states), but the X in the passport must disappear, and as a foreigner you cannot even enter the US with that X. Strange, because Musk attaches so much value to that letter…

Several countries have recently issued travel advisories with caution when traveling to the US, especially for LGBT people, and more specifically for trans people. As a DMO (Destination Marketing Organization), you can continue to claim that everyone is welcome, as Visit Las Vegas, NYC & Company, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Visit Orlando do:

However, they can no longer guarantee that. Politics determines, the population is influenced, the mood changes.

My husband and I have now put the US on our No-Go List – after twelve American trips. After all, the Americans have knowingly put a convicted criminal on the throne, with an entourage of evil billionaires who spread hatred, homophobia and xenophobia.

The future

My AI friend Gemini indicates, when asked, that polarization is expected to continue, with the integrity of elections and trust in democracy remaining points of attention. This could lead to a further erosion of democratic norms and a decline in the international reputation of the US as a superpower.

The latest actions of the US are now also affecting European companies. We feel and see it: this cannot remain without consequences.

I hold my breath and keep a close eye on the marcom there and the derivative versions here. Because marcom not only reflects norms and values, it also creates them.

*DE&I is clearly not only about queers, but also about women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities (and in the US veterans are added to that). That group too