(DailyEmailNews.com) – Following a conservative activist’s warning of a boycott, the company behind the famous American whiskey Jack Daniel’s is ending its liberal workplace programs.
Brown Forman, which also owns other notable brands, recently circulated an internal memo detailing its decision to stop diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and to sever ties with a corporate ranking of LGBT-friendly employers.
This move places Brown Forman alongside other businesses with a conservative base, such as Harley-Davidson, John Deere, and Tractor Supply, all of which have recently dropped similar programs.
These changes come after conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has influenced other firms through online campaigns, hinted at targeting Jack Daniel’s next.
“We’re now forcing multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without even posting just from fear they have of being the next company that we expose,” Starbuck shared in a statement along with the memo.
The memo from Brown Forman indicates a shift away from linking pay with DEI goals, engaging with the Human Rights Campaign’s corporate-equality index and efforts to partner with diverse suppliers.
“Since then, the world has evolved, our business has changed, and the legal and external landscape has shifted dramatically, particularly within the United States,” the memo states.
Brown Forman’s step back from these progressive efforts follows a trend among companies that ramped up such initiatives during the Black Lives Matter movements four years ago.
Interestingly, Brown Forman’s stock remained stable following Starbuck’s announcement, which reflects a general cooling down of corporate activism since its peak in 2020.
A recent Gallup survey showed that only 38% of Americans now think companies should weigh in on current events, a sharp decline from previous years.
Notably, support for corporate activism has dropped significantly across various groups, including Democrats and Asian Americans.
Moreover, conservative groups have not been afraid to file lawsuits and challenge corporate activism and discriminatory practices through legal means.
A notable example from last year is the long-drawn-out conservative boycott against Bud Light following its collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
This partnership caused sales to decline massively for Bud Light and other Anheuser-Busch brands.
In response, Bud Light sought to regain conservative support by partnering with entities popular in conservative circles, like the Ultimate Fighting Championship and NFL star Travis Kelce.
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