What led to a muted brand response to Pride?

In June 2025, brand-led Pride Month campaigns declined significantly across global markets, including India. Where earlier years were defined by rainbow-themed branding and solidarity messages, this year was marked by a noticeable reduction in corporate participation.

According to a study by Gravity Research, 39% of respondents planned to reduce or eliminate Pride-linked marketing in 2025. In contrast, only 9% had indicated similar plans in 2024. The research identified three core reasons: fear of political backlash, concerns about being labelled performative, and uncertainty about how to message authentically in a more scrutinised climate.

Fewer campaigns, more caution

In India, this drop was tangible. Pride Month in 2024 featured multi-platform campaigns such as Colorbar’s #AllShadesOfYou and Future Generali’s #WelcomeHome.

 

In 2025, the few visible activations included Myntra & Nasher Miles’ airport installation with the slogan “Labels belong on luggage, not people,” alongside more restrained efforts from other brands.

 IKEA released a rainbow-themed version of its PILLEMARK doormat.

 

Britannia collaborated with Parle Monaco on a campaign titled “Flavours of Equality.” Future Generali hosted a Pride walkathon in Mumbai. Prime Video premiered In Transit, a documentary series featuring stories from India’s trans and non-binary communities.

While the efforts were present, they did not reflect the scale of previous years. Speaking about the overall drop, Garima Pant, Group CHRO at MullenLowe Lintas Group, said, “There has been a noticeable decline in Pride-led brand activity in 2025.” 

She remains optimistic about the future. 

“However, this reduction also marks a shift towards deeper, more meaningful engagement rather than superficial tokenism,” added Pant. 

Pant attributed part of the decline to budget pressures. “Economic volatility has led to tighter budgets,” she said. “In many cases, marketing teams are choosing to focus on core campaigns rather than purpose-led work that may invite scrutiny.”

This aligns with findings from Deloitte’s 2024 Global Marketing Trends Report, which identified a pivot toward risk-averse branding, especially among multinational firms facing politically polarised markets.

“The industry overall seemed hesitant, worried about missteps, performative optics, or misreading the public mood. But this is precisely when consistent allyship matters most,” said Sumitro Sircar, an Independent PR & Communications Strategist.

Roopa Badrinath, Founder and Principal Consultant, Turmeric Consulting, observed, “It felt like brands were waiting to see which way the wind was blowing before committing.” 

She added, “There is a growing realisation that performative gestures won’t cut it anymore. Consumers are more aware, and so are internal teams.”

The global influence of U.S. DEI policy

A major influence behind this pullback is the evolving DEI climate in the United States. In January 2025, Executive Order 14151 was signed, effectively dissolving federal DEI mandates and instructing government agencies to avoid DEI-focused procurement practices. It was followed by recommendations from conservative think tanks under the banner of Project 2025, which advocated dismantling DEI infrastructure as both economically inefficient and ideologically biased.

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As noted in the DEI Policy Tracker compiled by researchers at the University of Southern California and the Centre for Transatlantic Policy Dialogue, several companies operating in the U.S. began to either downsize or publicly distance themselves from DEI-linked work. Deloitte, McDonald’s, Amazon, and Goldman Sachs were among those listed as having restructured their DEI teams between February and May 2025.

The report also linked this shift to corporate behaviour abroad. In the UK, the Pride Organisers Network stated that 75% of Pride events faced sponsorship reductions in 2025. In Germany and Bulgaria, event organisers confirmed similar trends, citing feedback from sponsors wary of potential reputational or legal risk.

Badrinath contextualised this effect locally, “In a hyperconnected world, what happens globally inevitably affects us, especially when local brand teams need global approval for bold creative.”

Community reactions

For members of the LGBTQ+ community, the decline in Pride visibility was noticeable not just in marketing, but in how brands communicated internally and externally. Meera (AKA R Balaji), a communications professional and speaker, noted, “Earlier, brands would go left, right and centre for Pride. But this year, I saw a dip. And honestly, maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe brands are starting to realise it’s not just about June, it’s beyond June.”

She added, “I’ve seen how quickly support can vanish when it becomes inconvenient. It’s not just about showing up when it’s popular, it’s about staying when it’s hard.”

A muted June hasn’t dampened industry optimism, with hopes now pinned on the upcoming peak advertising season.

However, recent data highlights a significant gap between corporate policy and the lived reality for LGBTQ+ professionals in India. According to the India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI) 2023 report, while a record number of companies are participating and developing inclusive policies, a key challenge remains the translation of these policies into a truly inclusive workplace culture. The report notes that social stigma is a persistent barrier, leading to underreporting of discrimination and a reluctance among many employees to be out at work.

Ayden, a senior copywriter at Dentsu Creative, said, “We’ve rarely seen Pride campaigns that felt truly meaningful or committed. This year, even that performative presence was missing. The silence was louder than ever.”

This concern is supported by the 2024 GLAAD Social Media Safety Index, which found that across global platforms, LGBTQ+ visibility dropped in brand content when external political pressure increased. According to the Ipsos Transatlantic Pulse Survey (2025), 76% of European consumers believe companies should help address societal issues. Among Gen Z, this expectation is even more proprogress.

Market research indicates that visible inclusion is not only a moral imperative but also a commercial one. According to a 2024 McKinsey report, one in four Gen Z respondents states that they boycott brands that have a negative social or environmental impact. Gen Z respondents, in particular, were more likely to call out brands for perceived hypocrisy on social media.

Sircar commented, “Consumers today expect sustained action, not just seasonal campaigns. In a market like India, where acceptance is still fragile, silence speaks volumes.”

The risk of re-entry

Strategists warn that brands that retreated from Pride-related messaging in 2025 may face greater difficulty rebuilding credibility in future campaigns. The DEI Policy Tracker notes that Gen Z audiences, already among the most diversity-conscious consumer groups, are less forgiving of inconsistency or tokenism.

“Credibility, once lost, is hard to rebuild,” said Badrinath. “Disappearing when it’s inconvenient and reappearing when it’s safe is not the hallmark of a true ally.”

Pant said, “Everything is open to public scrutiny. Tokenism will inevitably be exposed. Brands that demonstrate genuine allyship will stand out and succeed.”

Ayden added, “If brands come back with surface-level rainbow-washing, the community will see through it. But if they return with real intent, funding creators, hiring queer talent, investing long-term, they will be heard.”

This concern is validated by consumer behavior research, which finds that a company's history and perceived motives are critical in how its social impact messaging is received. According to a key study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, consumers are highly likely to perceive ‘corporate hypocrisy’ when a brand's pro-social claims are viewed as a self-serving tactic rather than a reflection of genuine internal values. This perceived hypocrisy directly leads to negative consumer responses and public criticism.

Meera said, “People may forgive you for being slow to start, but they won’t forget if you turn your back. Young consumers especially keep track.”

Some large organisations that have previously invested in public DEI commitments have made changes to their internal structures in 2025. WPP's network agency Ogilvy, based in the US, reportedly cut 5% of its DEI team earlier this year. 

According to a 2024 Mercer report, over 40% of global companies had either reduced or restructured their DEI functions due to political pushback or lack of clarity on ROI.

For Ayden, a non-binary employee in a creative role, training is a clear starting point. “Until people know how to talk to us, we can’t expect them to represent us authentically in campaigns either.” They said that inclusion must begin within the walls of the agency itself, because only then can it authentically reach the work they put out into the world.

A turning point for corporate allyship

Whether the silence of 2025 is temporary or indicative of a long-term shift, remains uncertain. However, interviews with professionals, marketers, and community members suggest that public-facing allyship can no longer be separated from internal accountability.

Adding a community lens, Meera said, “Everyone deserves a dignified workspace where they are valued. Everybody. Be queer. Each and every human being.”

“The day the corporate world believes a queer person can be a VP or a leader, that’s the day things will really change,” added Meera. “Until then, we keep speaking up.”

A 2025 NielsenIQ consumer trends report found that 68% of Indian urban consumers expect brands to demonstrate year-round commitment to inclusivity, with 61% saying they notice when companies only engage during heritage or identity months. Similarly, Accenture’s Global Consumer Pulse study (2024) showed that brands that embed social values consistently into business operations saw 4.5 times higher customer loyalty.

As brands weigh their strategies for the future, the decision to remain silent or engage genuinely will likely be measured not just by public reaction, but by the internal standards they’ve set and the consistency with which they act on them.

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