Event
What After Woke?
09 June 2025
Echo and Jericho Chambers convened senior leaders in corporate affairs, communications, sustainability, and investment to explore whether the current pullback on ESG, DEI, and activism reflects a permanent shift or a temporary pause. The session revealed tensions - but also clear opportunities to reframe, refocus, and lead with intent.
Key Takeaways
1. Language is Shifting, Not Intent
Organisations are still committed to ESG and DEI, especially in Europe, but are adapting how they communicate — more cautious, less rhetorical.
2. Risk of Silence
Fear of backlash has driven many companies into a defensive stance, avoiding public comment even while internal efforts continue. Communications leaders are playing a critical gatekeeping role.
3. Substance Over Symbolism
Performative actions like temporary logos or generic statements are losing credibility. Stakeholders demand operational proof — strategy, ownership, and follow-through.
4. Internal & External Tensions
What plays well in one region can spark controversy in another. Employees, boards, and markets often pull in different directions. Businesses need clear frameworks for when and how to speak.
5. From Branding to Infrastructure
Companies with ESG embedded into governance and strategy are weathering the storm. Those that treated it as comms-driven are retreating under pressure.
A Path Forward: Ambitious Pragmatism
Leaders backed a strategic middle ground - act where impact is clear, communicate with care, and prioritise credibility over visibility. ESG isn’t gone. It’s evolving - from loud to logical, symbolic to structural.
“Sometimes boring is good. Cool-headed clarity gets more done.”
Read the full report here - https://bit.ly/4lgHnVM
