DEI under pressure
January 2026
Introduction
The consumer goods DEI report analyses how CPG/FMCG companies use social media to communicate both overall DEI and specific DEI themes, such as gender, race and LGBTQ+. The report tracks how frequently companies post on these topics, how visibility changes over time and which sectors or corporates show the strongest or weakest presence.
The analysis compares activity by headquarters region, with separate views for US-based companies and companies based outside the USA. It focuses on observable patterns in public social posts. It highlights where activity is concentrated, which themes dominate and where companies have reduced or expanded their external DEI footprint.
Coverage
The report draws on a dataset we have built and maintained for more than five years. It tracks CPG/FMCG corporate social activity across more than 60 corporates, including the owners of major global brands and smaller corporate owners, covering both public and private companies. Corporate accounts across Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube are included.
Sectors
Eight consumer goods sectors:
• Alcoholic drinks
• Beverages
• Consumer healthcare
• Food
• Home care
• Personal care
• Petcare
• Tobacco
Themes
DEI themes are tagged at post level. The core themes are gender, race and LGBTQ+, with additional tagging across disability, veterans and religion. This allows a clear reading of the balance between themes.
Corporates
Corporate views show how frequently companies post on DEI topics, the mix of themes they cover and how activity compares with peers. The charts focus on visibility and potential impact.
Regional comparisons
Separate views compare US-based companies with companies based outside the USA. They show differences in frequency, topic mix and long-term visibility patterns and the factors behind changing trends.
Time trends
Time-based views show how DEI visibility changes month by month, quarter by quarter and year on year. They highlight periods of growth, stability or decline across themes.
Comparative insights
The combined sector, corporate and regional views place each company’s DEI visibility in the wider context. They show how activity sits against shifts in the external environment, including changing levels of public scrutiny, political attention and platform dynamics. The analysis highlights where visibility has changed and how these patterns differ across regions and sectors, without assuming why those changes occurred.
What this report provides
The report gives a clear view of the external DEI footprint of the CPG/FMCG sector based on public social posts. It supports benchmarking, identifies uneven patterns and shows how theme-level activity has shifted over time.
