Balancing Values and Business: Disney’s Shift in DEI Messaging
Disney is the latest company to adjust its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Axios obtained a memo from Sonia Coleman, Disney’s Chief Human Resources Officer, outlining the changes. While the adjustments don’t represent a full reversal of Disney’s DEI policies, they reflect the company’s response to the current political landscape. These changes may appease investors and politicians, but they might not resonate as well with Cast Members. More on that in a bit.
Disney has faced conservative political pressure since the company responded to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill in 2022. Once Bob Iger returned as CEO, he made it clear Disney would be returning to its entertainment core values:
“Our primary mission needs to be to entertain, and then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world. I’m very serious about that. It should not be agenda-driven, it should be entertainment-driven.”
Yesterday’s memo reinforced that statement.
Disney’s new initiatives
So what’s changing? To start, several initiatives have been rebranded. While “DEI” has been removed, “inclusion” remains, most notably in the company values highlighted by Coleman: integrity, creativity, collaboration, community, and inclusion.
Disney has renamed “Business” Employee Resource Groups (BERGs) to “Belonging” Employee Resource Groups. BERGs are meant to strengthen the “employee community and workplace experience.” Honestly, the name change feels DEI to me. Don’t tell anyone.
Disney is adding a “Talent Strategy” performance factor. The new metric is an “evolution of important concepts in the former Diversity & Inclusion OPF and will be used alongside our other two OPFs, ‘Storytelling & Creativity’ and ‘Synergy.’
The memo also mentions moving on from “Reimagine Tomorrow,” a previous initiative (and accompanying website) that highlighted stories from underrepresented communities. Interestingly, the old website now forwards to a new domain name that contains “inclusion.”
Let’s compare the homepage language from those two sites. First up is Reimagine Tomorrow:
At Disney, inclusion is for everyone.
Reimagine Tomorrow is our way of amplifying underrepresented voices and untold stories as well as championing the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment. Because we are all greater than a single story and we all deserve to feel seen, heard and understood.
And it’s replacement:
At Disney, we want everyone to belong and thrive.
At Disney, creating a welcoming and respectful environment for our employees and guests is core to our company culture and our business. We create entertainment that appeals to a global audience, and having a workforce that reflects the consumers we serve helps drive our business.
Phrases like “underrepresented voices” and “accurate representation” have been replaced with “respectful environment,” “create entertainment,” and “drive our business.”
Disney+ disclaimers
Axios also learned that Disney is also removing the advisory disclaimers that used to play before certain movies on Disney+. Previously, viewers were warned about “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures” at the beginning of films like Dumbo and Peter Pan. Now, an updated message can be found in those movies’ details tabs.
This program includes negative depictions and/ or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.
Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.
To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter
It’s strong language, albeit hidden behind a tab few people will engage with.
It’s hard to know exactly how much Disney’s policies will change. The rebranded program names, the new website, and the Disney+ updates feel performative. It’s not the worst strategy, but it still risks upsetting those who appreciated Disney’s bold DEI initiatives. I spoke with a Cast Member who said as much:
“It’s disappointing to see Disney bow to political pressure instead of standing firm in its values. While I’m glad they didn’t completely dismantle DEI initiatives, they should be leading the charge — not retreating. True leadership means standing by your principles, even when it’s tough. Scaling back inclusion efforts sends the wrong message, and Disney should know better.”
Anonymous Cast Member
Disney’s DEI adjustments reflect a delicate balancing act between political pressure, investor expectations, and company values. The subtle rebranding and messaging shifts indicate a cautious approach to avoid further controversy. Disney’s challenge moving forward will be to prove that its commitment to inclusion remains.
Read more: Disney Addresses Criticism Over Rising Vacation Costs
