Even as corporate commitments waver, people haven’t stopped talking about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. They’ve just changed how they talk. Across thousands of DEI-related posts, we’re seeing shifts in tone, language, and expectations. Employees and communities are still engaged, still hopeful—and still watching.
The big takeaway for brands? Trust and loyalty are still on the table. But earning them requires more than statements. It takes consistency, accountability, and meaningful action.
We analyzed DEI conversation trends from 2023 to 2025. Here’s what the emotional patterns reveal—and how your brand can respond.
This network map visualizes the rich, interwoven tapestry of DEI conversations in 2025. “Culture, Diversity and Inclusion” remains the largest cluster, but others like “Inclusive Events,” “Autism Awareness,” “Student Diversity,” and “Jobs Supporting DEI” reflect a broadening of what DEI means today.
These aren’t just corporate updates. They’re lived experiences, community events, and identity-based advocacy.
For example, this word cloud (below) represents the most common terms used in DEI conversations from the first half of 2025. Words like “inclusion,” “support,” “communities,” and “celebrate” dominate, pointing to a shift away from policy-speak and toward emotionally resonant, human-centered language.
Other prominent terms include:
This is not the language of bureaucracy. It’s the language of belonging. People are speaking from the heart. They’re celebrating difference, seeking connection, and calling for inclusive leadership in deeply personal ways.
For brands: Matching this tone and being warm, affirming, and community-driven, can help communications resonate more deeply in today’s climate.
Over time, conversation peaks become more selective. Spikes in DEI engagement align with real-world flashpoints, such as justice rulings, Pride, and Black History Month. These instances prove that emotionally charged events still drive powerful inclusion discourse:
And language matters. As we can see below, the most frequently used DEI terms year-over-year (YOY) offer a telling shift:
Insight: People aren’t just talking about policy. They’re talking about how they feel—and whether your brand is part of something joyful or just performative.
Yes, mentions of “joy” in DEI content have dropped sharply by over 50% since 2023. But the few joyful conversations that remain stand out. They’re not fluffy; they’re powerful expressions of pride, visibility, and community.
Takeaway: Joy is now rare. That makes it a signal. And when your brand helps foster joy, inclusion, celebration, and support. It matters more than ever.
This chart highlights the brands that remain significant in DEI discourse. Amazon, Target, Walmart, Disney, and LinkedIn aren’t always praised, but they’re visible. That matters. In a retreating landscape, staying in the conversation shows staying power and can leave a lasting and impactful impression.
For brands: Silence speaks. But so does presence. And your audience remembers both.
The common thread is that these companies don’t go silent. They anchor DEI in broader values, like accessibility, workforce inclusion, and economic opportunity, and communicate in ways that feel grounded and aligned with their values. It’s not performative.
Data doesn’t just track performance—it tracks emotion. And in the case of DEI, that emotion still points toward hope. The persistence of joy, the celebration of identity, and the continued conversation around inclusion all indicate one thing: the work is far from over, and the desire for meaningful progress remains strong.
This timeline (below) tracks DEI conversation volume from January to June 2025. We see several distinct spikes:
For brands: These spikes aren’t just traffic; they are signals. People are actively reflecting, celebrating, and advocating during these periods. Brands that show up consistently, and not just during awareness months, but with substance, stand out in a crowded conversation.
The gender breakdown in DEI conversations reveals important nuance. Women remain the majority voice across many clusters, particularly in emotionally resonant themes like “Inclusive Events” and “Voices in DEI Journey.” These aren’t abstract causes; they’re deeply personal reflections of lived experience.
But men have a voice too, and are more visible in conversations around employment equity, disability awareness, and racial justice. They engage in clusters such as “Equity in Diverse Sectors” and “Autism Awareness,” signaling that inclusion isn’t just a women’s issue; it’s a shared priority across gender lines.
Ethnicity data reveals that DEI conversations are being driven by diverse communities, particularly Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian-identifying individuals.
This reflects both the disproportionate impact of exclusion and the passion these communities bring to driving inclusion narratives.
Insight: These voices are not monolithic. They reflect a spectrum of experiences and advocacy, from historical justice to present-day visibility
And we see younger generations, especially Millennials and Gen Z, lead the conversation. But there’s also a notable presence from Gen X, especially in conversations around DEI in leadership and long-term change.
This represents a crucial intersection, where youth-driven energy meets executive experience. The most successful brands will connect with both—meeting younger audiences where they are while empowering senior leaders to listen and act.
And underlying all of this, across age, gender, and background, is emotion. This sentiment chart reveals the emotional tone of the DEI conversation in 2025:
Key Insight: DEI isn’t just a strategy—it’s an emotional ecosystem. Brands that reflect these emotions build not only relevance but trust.
For brands navigating uncertain political waters, here’s the takeaway: commitment can’t be performative, but it doesn’t need to be loud either. It needs to be consistent, measurable, and rooted in trust.
That means tracking DEI outcomes. Uplifting internal voices. Showing up when it matters most and when it’s least expected. Because even in hard times, people want truth over theater. And the brands that listen to their consumers’ joy, emotion, and lived experience are the ones that will be trusted tomorrow.
Let Quid help you uncover the voices, trends, emotional drivers, and brand perceptions shaping inclusion today, so you can lead with clarity tomorrow.