You've probably seen the headlines. One day a brand is changing its logo to a rainbow, and the next, they’re wiping their "About Us" page clean of any mention of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). It’s a mess. 2024 has basically become the year of corporate whiplash.
If you're looking for a list of woke companies 2024, you have to understand that "woke" is a moving target. To some, it’s just a company being a decent human being. To others, it’s a sign that a corporation has abandoned its customers to chase a political agenda. Honestly, both sides are louder than ever right now.
The landscape shifted hard this year. We saw a massive wave of "de-woking" where brands that were once the poster children for progressive values suddenly did a 180. But plenty of others are digging their heels in.
The Companies Staying the Course
While the media loves a good retreat story, many of the world's biggest players haven't blinked. They’re still pouring billions into ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and DEI.
Apple is a prime example. They haven't backed off their goal to be carbon neutral across their entire supply chain by 2030. They’re still very loud about their racial justice initiatives, too. Then you have Ben & Jerry’s. They’re basically the grandfathers of woke capitalism. They don’t just post on social media; they get involved in international politics and domestic policy in ways that make most CEOs sweat.
Microsoft and Google are also firmly on this list. Sure, Microsoft had a minor PR hiccup in July when they laid off a couple of DEI-specific roles, but they quickly clarified that their overall commitment wasn't changing. They’re still focused on "digital equity" and climate goals. Google is the same—they’ve been carbon neutral since 2007 and aren't slowing down on their social justice grants.
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Disney is the big one people always talk about. Despite the legal battles in Florida and the "Star Wars" fan wars, Bob Iger hasn't exactly dismantled the company's progressive content strategy. They might be "quieting down" the rhetoric to save the box office, but the internal structures are still very much in place.
Why the List of Woke Companies 2024 is Shrinking
This is where it gets interesting. A guy named Robby Starbuck basically started a one-man war on corporate DEI this year. He didn’t go after Silicon Valley; he went after brands whose customers are mostly in rural America or "red" states.
It worked.
Tractor Supply Co. was the first major domino to fall in June 2024. They didn't just tweak their policies; they nuked them. They eliminated all DEI roles, retired their carbon emission goals, and stopped sponsoring Pride festivals. Why? Because their customers told them to. Simple as that.
Shortly after, John Deere followed suit. They announced they would no longer participate in "social or cultural awareness" events. For a company that sells tractors to farmers, the "woke" label was becoming a massive liability.
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Here’s a quick rundown of others that scaled back or "pivoted" their language in 2024:
- Harley-Davidson: Stopped their diversity spending goals and pulled out of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) rankings.
- Lowe’s: Shifted their DEI focus to be more "business-centric" and ended some of their identity-based programs.
- Ford: CEO Jim Farley told employees the company is moving away from external diversity rankings and "socially motivated" content.
- Toyota: Recently announced they would scale back DEI to focus more on STEM education and workforce readiness.
- Jack Daniel’s (Brown-Forman): Quietly sunsetted their DEI programs over the summer.
The "Quiet Woke" Strategy
Some companies are doing something different. They aren't "quitting," but they are changing the name.
Walmart is a great example of this. They haven't necessarily stopped their initiatives, but they’ve started using the word "belonging" instead of "DEI." It sounds softer. It’s less of a lightning rod for activists. They also pulled some LGBTQ+ merchandise aimed at kids after seeing what happened to Target.
Speaking of Target, they’re still struggling to find a middle ground. After losing billions in market value following their 2023 Pride collection, their 2024 strategy was much more "segmented." They only put Pride gear in about half of their stores—the ones in areas where it wouldn't cause a riot. It’s a weird, defensive way to run a business.
Is "Go Woke, Go Broke" Actually Real?
It’s complicated.
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Bud Light is the cautionary tale everyone points to. They lost their spot as the #1 beer in America after the Dylan Mulvaney partnership. Sales still haven't fully recovered. But for every Bud Light, there’s a Nike. When Nike leaned into the Colin Kaepernick ad years ago, people burned their shoes. Then, Nike’s stock hit record highs.
The difference in 2024 is the organized nature of the backlash. It’s not just random angry tweets anymore. It’s legal threats from Republican Attorneys General and shareholder lawsuits alleging that DEI mandates are a breach of fiduciary duty.
Actionable Insights for 2024 and Beyond
If you're trying to navigate this as a consumer or an investor, here’s how to look at it:
- Check the HRC Corporate Equality Index: If a company has a 100/100 score, they are likely very "woke" by traditional definitions. If they’ve recently asked to be removed from the list (like Ford or Molson Coors), they’re moving toward the center.
- Look at the "About Us" Page: Companies that are proud of their "woke" status will have entire sections dedicated to Social Impact and ESG. If that page is suddenly gone or replaced with "Our Values," they are in retreat mode.
- Watch the Boardroom: The real "wokeness" is often in the hiring quotas for board members. Several investment firms like Goldman Sachs have actually started dropping these requirements because of legal pressure.
The list of woke companies 2024 is basically a map of the American culture war. Some brands want to be the vanguard of social change, while others just want to sell you a truck without getting yelled at on the internet. As we move into 2025, expect even more companies to go "neutral" to avoid the crossfire.
The best thing you can do is look past the marketing. A company might post a black square on Instagram but have zero diversity in its leadership. Conversely, a company might "cancel" its DEI program but still have the most inclusive culture in the industry. The labels are getting messy, so you've got to look at the actual actions, not just the press releases.