Target CEO’s message to staff after DEI pullback fell short, communications pros say
After months of silence on diversity, equity and inclusion after pulling back on some related goals, programs and initiatives, Target CEO Brian Cornell finally addressed the elephant in the room — but only to some extent.
In an email to staff, a copy of which Target provided to Modern Retail, Cornell wrote that silence from the leadership team has created uncertainty, but that the company is “still the Target you know and believe in — a company that welcomes all and aims to bring joy to everyone, every day,” and that its values of inclusivity, connection and drive “are not up for debate.” As examples of these values, he cited how the company promotes many of its leaders from within, that it offers adaptive clothing for “kids of all abilities” and beauty products for “every skin tone and hair type,” and that it has pursued partnerships with “diverse entrepreneurs” along with marketing choices that reflect all of its guests.
The CEO sent the message May 5, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune, one of the first outlets to report on the message.
“You’ll be hearing from us more often, and we want to hear from you, too. Talk with us and your leaders, share your ideas and ask questions so this is the start of an ongoing conversation,” Cornell wrote as he finished out the letter. “The world around us is noisier and more complicated, but that doesn’t change who we are. Every day our team lifts each other up, goes the distance to care for our guests and generously supports the communities we call home.”
As Target pulled back some diversity, equity and inclusion practices in February, its sales dropped 3% year over year in the first quarter. Its foot traffic has fallen, and some of its customers started boycotting the chain. However, Cornell didn’t address any of these issues in detail. Communications, marketing and leadership consultants who spoke with Modern Retail said they thought the message was vague and failed to reassure people about any continued commitment to underrepresented groups.
In a statement to Modern Retail, a Target spokesperson said: “We are absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone — our team members, our guests and our supply partners. To do that, we’re focusing on what we do best: providing the best retail experience for the more than 2,000 communities we’re proud to serve.”
‘What was the point?’
“I had to read [the email] twice, because I was thinking, ‘Wait, what did he actually say here?'” said Jennifer George, svp of communications for the healthcare firm The Aspen Group who previously served in communications leadership roles at Shutterfly, Headspace and Unilever. She said the letter “felt like opening a very beautifully wrapped present or gift, and then you open it, and you find an empty box inside — all this very formal language and carefully constructed sentences.”
In times of uncertainty like this, employees and other stakeholders crave clarity and honesty and deserve to know what specific challenges their company is facing and concrete steps leadership is taking to address them, according to George. “What folks got was a little bit of corporate platitude that left everybody sort of filling in the blanks themselves,” she said.
Walter Holbrook, a retail consultant and former Kmart executive, said Cornell’s message lacked not only the right communication for the moment, but also any indication of strategy. “That’s Cornell’s primary job,” Holbrook said. “What is your vision? What is your strategy to combat what’s coming?”
Alejandra Ramirez, founder of internal communications consultancy Ready Cultures, agreed.
“The letter certainly tried to reassure employees and reiterate company values and sort of project optimism about the future, but it really avoided the issue that everyone’s already been talking about,” Ramirez said. “It felt overly polished and emotionally distant and didn’t really offer clarity, accountability or any next steps.”
DEI questions left unanswered, no apology
In the email, Cornell wrote that “there’s been a lot coming at us — macro challenges in the environment, but also headlines, social media and conversations that may have left you wondering: Where does Target stand? What’s true? What’s not?”
But Cornell never answered those questions, said Lola Bakare, a CMO adviser, inclusive marketing strategist and founder of the consultancy be/co. He instead tried to skirt the diversity, equity and inclusion issue, she said, by talking about “adaptive clothing” and beauty products “for every skin tone and hair type.”
“Disability inclusion isn’t something that the administration has taken an issue with, so they’re being safe there,” Bakare said. “And then, saying that they have products for every skin tone and hair type, to me, glaringly avoids the issue of using the word ‘race.'”
Saying Target welcomes all and brings joy to everyone also wasn’t enough, Bakare said, adding that he should have said that Target believes in the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion and that it is going the extra mile to correct underrepresentation in its workforce.
“They’re no longer using language that shows they’re invested in addressing systemic inequity, which is part of what Target built their business on,” Bakare said, adding that Target used to be a brand that created a sense of belonging for people who didn’t have one before. In 2021, Target made major commitments to Black-owned brands, pledging to add products from more than 500 of them to its shelves and spend more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses, such as marketing agencies, construction companies and facilities maintenance.
George said the message positioned Target as a victim instead of recognizing that leadership made decisions that impacted suppliers, employees and guests. “Great leaders own the choices that have been made, explain the reasons behind them and outline a plan to address the negative outcomes,” she said, adding that good crisis communications leave people informed and confident, rather than still waiting for answers.
One good example of this, according to George, is when Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wrote a letter to employees in 2020, when the pandemic crushed the travel industry and led Airbnb to lay off almost 1,900 people. He apologized and explained how Covid-19 impacted the business, how the company approached reductions and what the company was doing to support affected employees.
“The key, from my perspective, is honesty, specificity and [to] show that you actually understand the tenor and the tone in the room,” George said.
No mention of boycotts
Also missing from the letter was any mention of Cornell’s reported meeting in April with Rev. Al Sharpton, other civil rights leaders or boycott organizers. Sharpton had said he would consider calling for a Target boycott if it didn’t confirm its commitment to the Black community. He called the meeting “constructive and candid.” Target told the Star Tribune that it asked for the meeting but has yet to make a statement on it.
“That was a missed opportunity there to tap into what those meetings were about,” said Domonique Townsend, founder and CEO of We Optimize Works, a leadership consulting firm that touches on both communications and operations. “People collectively are joining in to say we are only supporting companies that essentially value what we value, but this is an opportunity to show … that you’re taking account to care in rebuilding that path of trust.”
Omitting the Sharpton meeting left the impression that the company was avoiding accountability, according to Ramirez, the internal communications consultant.
“It didn’t outline any follow-up action or opportunity for dialog,” Ramirez said. “It felt polished, it felt sterile, and it felt like it was a press release more than a letter to employees.”