As political headwinds intensify, global brands are recalibrating DEI strategies– trading public-facing commitments for lower-risk alternatives that carry their own reputational exposure.
Gravity Research benchmarked nearly 700 DEI-related engagements by 50 multinational companies across social media, news outlets, and corporate newsrooms from January 1 – December 31, 2025, tracking how global brands are engaging across four issue areas — LGBTQ+ equality, gender equity, disability rights, and immigration — and four regions.
Key Findings
LGBTQ+ equality engagement leads every region, but country-level variance exposes the limits of a unified strategy. LGBTQ+ engagement outpaced all other issue areas across APAC, Europe, Latin America, and North America, even as corporate Pride participation declined. However, consumers do not treat all LGBTQ+ topics as a single agenda, meaning engagement on same-sex marriage or transgender inclusion that resonates in one market may provoke backlash in another.
Fewer than 13% of engagements in any region involved public advocacy. Multinationals are collectively moving away from public actions that could be perceived as taking a political stance, instead favoring internal events, recognition statements, and community partnerships. In APAC and Latin America, the retreat from public-facing activity was especially pronounced, while North America stood apart in its commercial orientation, with U.S. accessibility standards and Pride Month product collections driving engagement.
Regulatory mandates, rather than voluntary commitment, are sustaining gender equity and disability engagement. Where governments institutionalize workplace equity, as in the EU, Australia, and Japan, corporate activity endures. Where voluntary approaches dominate, identity-based programming appears vulnerable to political pressure. Disability engagement is similarly compliance-driven, with product accessibility updates accounting for 65% of activity — positioning disability inclusion as a lower-risk entry point for companies seeking credible social commitments.
Looking Ahead
Companies may find opportunity in less politically fragmented issue areas like gender equity and disability inclusion, where regulatory frameworks provide cover. On highly polarized issues like immigration and LGBTQ+ rights, tailoring engagement to local markets will be critical as public attitudes diverge sharply across regions, and corporate silence carries its own reputational cost.
Download the full report to understand how multinationals are recalibrating DEI engagement strategies and where reputational exposure is shifting across global markets.
