Either you stay woke, or go broke has become a rallying cry of the political right whenever they see a brand try to align itself with liberal or progressive ideals, even if it’s just a little bit. It’s a joke that lets MAGA country think that there is a huge, ongoing backlash against products that recognize and celebrate marginalized groups. But it never seems like the alleged boycotts show up in the bottom line. However, let’s talk about woke companies, non-woke companies, and a list of woke companies you should know in America.
Woke Companies
Business entities that have embraced progressive causes and frequently incorporate them into corporate practices are referred to as “woke companies.”
At woke companies, the following subjects might be highlighted, promoted, or even used to inform policy:
- Race
- Gender
- gender identity concerns
- female rights
- ethnic minorities
Some businesses have come under fire for this practice since it may be perceived by some as a meaningless gesture that just serves to convey virtue to customers and is solely seen as a profit-making scheme rather than a sincere belief. A list of woke companies in America has also taken part in the cancel culture. As an illustration, consider the situation where a woke corporation fires an employee for making a public comment that is perceived as being insensitive or discriminatory.
Recently, Kid Rock and Travis Tritt went to war with brewer Anheuser-Busch over a relationship between Bud Light and trans actor Dylan Mulvaney. However, attention has already moved to the whiskey Jack Daniel’s because of an ad campaign with drag queens from 2021.
With all the businesses that these “grievance merchants” are trying to bring down, it’s not too strange that some have gotten away. Even though the U.S. economy is having challenges and earnings may be down across the board for the first fiscal quarter of 2023, there is a lot of evidence that major brands can easily handle the anti-woke furor.
Here is a list of some of the woke companies and how they are doing it now:
#1. Keurig
In a lot of ways, the “get woke, go broke” trend started with the Keurig mess of 2017. Even though the phrase hadn’t been made yet, the idea was there.
If you remember, Roy Moore was running for the Senate to serve Alabama as a Republican when several women accused him of sexual misconduct. Fox News host Sean Hannity cast doubt on the accusations and told viewers not to “rush to judgment” about Moore. This caused Keurig to pull ads for their coffee makers from his show, right as the #MeToo movement was taking off. In response, Hannity’s fans started breaking their Keurigs on social media and calling for a boycott. (In a post that has since been deleted, Hannity shared one of these videos and said, “Love it.”)
So, what’s going on with Keurig now? In 2018, Keurig Green Mountain, the main company, paid $18.7 billion to buy Dr Pepper Snapple Group. This made Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. the third-largest beverage company in North America. Since then, this giant’s yearly gross profits have grown. In 2022, they will reach $7.3 billion, which is nearly 5% more than the year before. It turns out that a few Hannity fans throwing fits didn’t make much of a difference.
#2. The airline United
Conservatives have always been against business plans that smell like affirmative action, so it was no surprise when they found out in 2021 that United Airlines planned to hire half women and/or people of color as pilot students. Piers Morgan sneered that they would try to hire blind pilots next “to check another pathetic virtue-signaling box.” Tucker Carlson complained that United executives were “ideologues suffering from an incurable brain disease called ‘wokeness,'” and that they no longer put pilot skill or passenger safety first.
At the start of 2023, United reported a profit of $843 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, which was more than Wall Street expected. It also gave a positive outlook for the next few months, saying that there would be a lot of demand for trips.
#3. Carhartt
A company that has been making work clothes for 134 years and is based in the middle of the United States is an odd target for right-wing anger. In fact, Carhartt’s heavy-duty clothes are almost always associated with manual work, which both Republicans and Democrats say is what makes a country great. How could they get “woke”? By keeping the requirement that workers get the Covid-19 vaccine after the Supreme Court stopped the Biden administration’s federal mandate for bigger businesses to get the vaccine at the start of 2022.
Sure enough, #BoycottCarhartt became a national trend, but it was never going to make a big difference that suit-wearing Beltway types like Sebastian Gorka swore off blue-collar clothes. Since Carhartt is a private company, we can’t say how much money it made in 2022. However, in December, the company said it would spend $4.65 million to expand its Dearborn, Michigan campus and hire 125 more people at an average hourly wage of $43.22. Doesn’t sound too much like “broke,” does it? As for being “woke,” they’ve only gotten more serious, hinting at “future projects that involve a women’s brand and an expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.”
#4. Disney
Although in previous years they appeared on a list of top non woke companies in blogs in America. This entertainment giant has been called out more than once for not being “woke.” They were canceled because they changed the theme park ride Splash Mountain to make it less racist, added LGBTQ characters to their family movies, and put Halle Bailey in the lead role in their live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. But Disney’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last year, may have been the biggest scandal. This led some people to say that the company was “grooming” children, which was not true. People were so angry that they even held protests against Disney.
No matter how much money Disney lost because of this, it wasn’t much. In 2022, they made a gross profit of $28.321 billion, which was a 27 percent rise from 2021. In general, they were faster than other media companies. Analysts said that Disney+ streaming prices were to blame for the fact that the company didn’t make as much money as expected in the fourth quarter. Disney+ now has more subscribers than Netflix. While this was going on, revenue from the theme parks, which are the easiest part of the business to boycott, “soared.” The changes that have happened at Disney in the past few months, like the return of CEO Bob Iger, the cancellation of Star Wars movies, and the ongoing layoffs, have more to do with the company’s long-term goals than with the “groomer” attacks.
#5. Nike
Like Disney, Nike has done different things to anger Red America. Conservatives never bring up the claim that Nike, the largest athletic apparel and footwear brand in the world, uses forced labor in its supply chain. (Nike last year reaffirmed its commitment to “a fundamental respect for human rights,” saying that it focuses on working with “long-term, strategic suppliers that demonstrate a commitment to engaging their workers, providing safe working conditions, and advancing environmental responsibility.”) However, anti-woke activists often do. A few years ago, Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the National Anthem at NFL games to protest racial injustice. This week, they were shocked to learn that Dylan Mulvaney is now promoting Nike sports bras and leggings on Instagram after ruining Bud Light.
Haters will have to try harder than they did in 2018 with the Kaepernick collaboration, when they burned shoes and ruined socks by cutting off the “swoosh” logo, to bring Nike down for trying to get a trans woman’s support. The campaign was a big hit, and sales went up because of it. Nike has continued to beat expectations for revenue growth, and in the fourth quarter of 2022, the company made $1.44 billion in net income.
#6. Amazon
Even before Amazon was criticized for having a diverse cast in its big fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, some people had already decided that Jeff Bezos’s trillion-dollar business had a political bias that was unacceptable. Before 2018, Amazon was on a list of the top non woke companies in America. In 2021, the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, started a campaign against Amazon called “Stop Amazon Hate.” They said that the company bans right-wing and Christian views by removing or hiding certain books. Amazon Web Services had just taken down the pro-Trump social network Parler after the riot at the Capitol on January 6. This led to a call for a boycott by the CEO of Parler.
Amazon has recently laid off thousands of workers, just like many other companies in the tech industry. This may be because of greater automation, a slowing global economy, and corporate overexpansion in the past few years. Still, Amazon is making more money than Wall Street predicted ($149.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022) and setting new records for ad sales. It is still the fifth biggest company in the world based on the value of its stock on the market. Safe to say it’s not going bankrupt anytime soon.
Non Woke Companies
#1. Hobby Lobby
You might wonder why this company made it to our top list of non woke companies in America. Having in mind its well-known chain and is the world’s biggest privately owned store for arts and crafts. It has gotten a lot of attention from the media because of its Christian beliefs. For example, it closes its stores on Sundays to honor the Sabbath and doesn’t cover all types of birth control in its health plans. Even though cancel culture was after them, Hobby Lobby and its owners have pushed for and stayed true to their conservative family values and the freedom to follow their faith. “Honoring the Lord in all [they] do by acting in a way that is in line with Biblical principles” is their core belief.
#2. The Bass Pro Shops
The founder of the well-known outdoorsman’s store, Johnny Morris, whose father fought in WWII’s Battle of the Bulge, has always helped soldiers and veteran charities. Recently, Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops won the U.S. Army’s National Service Award for how hard Bass Pro Shop works to help soldiers in our communities. They do this through charity work, donations, and hiring people who have served and sacrificed for our country.
#3. Uline
Uline might not be a name you’re familiar with, but it is North America’s biggest supplier of shipping, packaging, and industrial supplies. Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, who own the company, spent $5 million on the 2014 midterm elections. More than $4 million of that went to Super PACs on the far right. Elizabeth also sends out business emails that tell employees about issues with the government and with Big Tech.
#4. Patriot Mobile
Need a new cell phone service provider? Patriot Mobile is the only wireless service in the United States that is Christian and conservative. Not only are they passionate about getting you great service and great rates, but a part of their profits go to groups that fight to protect religious freedom, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the sanctity of life. Some of the groups they help are the NRA, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and Turning Point USA.
#5. Duke Cannon
Duke Cannon is not on our list of non woke companies because it only sells grooming products for guys who work hard. They remember when patriotism was the rule and men worked hard with their hands instead of using hashtags. They get ideas from the military because they don’t put out a product until it meets the standards of troops. Duke Cannon also gives a part of their profits to veteran organizations like Folds of Honor, Green Beret Foundation, and Fisher House, to name a few.
List of Woke Companies in America
#1. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it has always covered travel costs for “certain medical procedures and treatments if they are not available where you live.”
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court does not change that,” the statement said.
#2. AT&T
In a statement, a representative from a telecommunications company said, “Our company cares about the health of our employees and their families, so we offer benefits that cover the cost of travel for medical procedures that can’t be done within 100 miles of their home.”
#3. The Bank of America
Bank of America said, “We have added to the list of medical treatments that qualify for reimbursement of travel costs.” This list will now include treatment for cancer, organ transplants at centers of excellence, care for sexual health, including abortion, and hospital stays for mental health problems.”
#4. Bumble and Match
Start raising money to pay for abortions in Texas.
“Bumble was started by women and is run by women. From the beginning, we’ve stood up for the weakest. We’ll keep fighting against rules like #SB8 that are backward.”
#5. Citigroup
The health care plan for Citigroup pays for trip costs.
Yelp, Citi, Apple, and others are making changes to their benefits to cover abortions.
#6. Chobani
CEO Hamdi Ulukaya wrote on Twitter, “Businesses have to put their workers’ health, safety, and happiness first. That’s why @Chobani changed its health plans to help our employees get the specialized care that isn’t offered in their area, like services for women’s reproductive health. Chobani’s health plan pays for travel, lodging, and childcare costs when employees or their families have to travel for medical care.
In a memo, President Kevin Burris said, “For Chobani, this is not a political statement or show of strength. It’s a reaffirmation of our core belief that we will do what’s best for the safety, health, and well-being of our employees and their families.”
What does it mean if a company is woke?
Woke capitalism, also called woke capital or stakeholder capitalism, is a term for marketing, advertising, and business structures that reflect the social and political views of millennials and Generation Z, such as their support for social justice and activist causes.
Who is the leader of the woke movement?
William was Harlem, and he was awake. In fact, it’s been 55 years since he wrote “If You’re Woke, You Dig It.” This makes him the dad of being awake. William loved, respected, and fought for black people until the day he died. He told their stories in essays, books, and even short films, often with a touch of humor.
What Are Woke Projects?
The WOKE Project aims to create restorative and healthy school climates by implementing healing-centered approaches to teaching and learning, with a strong emphasis on students’ lived experiences and leadership.
What Are Woke Investments?
It is an acronym that stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. Some refer to it as “woke investing.” It entails pressuring, if not coercing, individuals to endorse policy stances on topics such as the environment. There is now a growing pushback.
Reference
#1. Daveseminara
#3. foxbusiness
