The parent company of iconic American whiskey brand Jack Daniel’s is getting rid of its progressive workplace programs after a conservative activist prepared to launch a boycott against the firm.
American spirits conglomerate Brown Forman, the owner of Jack Daniel’s and other well-known offerings, recently sent an internal memo announcing its plan to halt diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and end its relationship with a corporate ranking of LGBT-friendly employers.
Brown Forman is the fourth company with conservative clientele to scrap its left-wing workplace initiatives in recent weeks, joining Harley-Davidson, John Deere, and Tractor Supply. The three firms acted after online pressure was initiated by right-wing activist Robby Starbuck, who said on X he was planning on 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 said in a post sharing the internal memo.
Big news: The next company we were set to expose was @JackDaniels_US.
They must have been tipped off by us going through employee LinkedIn pages.
They just preemptively announced that they’ll be making these changes:
• Ending participation in the @HRC’s Corporate Equality… pic.twitter.com/0O1DkkIKrO
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 22, 2024
Brown Forman’s memo explains why the company will no longer tie compensation to DEI objectives, participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s corporate-equality index, or try 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 internal memo reads.
“With these new dynamics at play, we must adjust our work to ensure it continues to drive business results while appropriately recognizing the current environment in which we find ourselves.”
Brown Forman was one of many corporations to adopt progressive workplace initiatives over the past few years, with many companies seeking to prove their progressive bona fides during the Black Lives Matter riots four years ago. Shares of Brown Forman hardly moved upon Starbuck’s post, a sign of how much corporate activism has died down after the progressive moment in 2020 eventually faded.
A Gallup survey taken earlier this year found that only 38 percent of Americans believe businesses should take positions on current events, a ten-point decrease from 2022, when the number was close to a majority. Support for corporate activism dropped 22 percentage points among Democrats and 27 points among Asian Americans, the most dramatic shifts over the past two years.
Conservative organizations — especially America First Legal — have grown more aggressive in filing lawsuits against companies engaging in corporate activism and alleged discrimination against various demographic groups.
In 2023, conservatives waged a monthslong boycott against Bud Light after the beer brand partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on a social-media advertisement. Mulvaney, a biological male identifying as female, is a well-known online influencer who underwent transgender medical procedures and previously interviewed President Joe Biden.
The Bud Light boycott significantly damaged the brand’s sales and the sales of other labels under the Anheuser-Busch umbrella. To win back conservative customers, Bud Light entered numerous advertising partnerships with brands and celebrities known across red America, such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and star NFL tight end Travis Kelce.