It’s a safe bet that on June 6, 2024, very few corporate board members or executives had ever heard of Robby Starbuck.

It’s an equally safe bet that by Oct. 3, 2024, Starbuck’s name was crossing the lips of corporate leaders everywhere.

On Oct. 3, Starbuck claimed Toyota was the latest company to scale back its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programming under pressure from his hundreds of thousands of social media followers. Throughout the summer, Starbuck took credit for convincing at least 10 major companies to take similar actions.

In broad terms, Starbuck believes companies should be “neutral” when it comes to providing diversity training, supporting LGBTQIA causes, or setting goals for race or gender diversity in hiring.

 

The Starbuck Playbook

By reviewing Starbuck’s social media posts and interviews he’s done with mainstream media since June, it appears he has a fairly consistent playbook:

  • First, he identifies a company or brand with a customer base that he believes to be more politically centric or conservative. His targets have been Tractor Supply Company, Harley-Davidson, Jack Daniel’s, and John Deere, to name a few.
  • He may then contact the company directly and demand they change their policies.
  • If the company doesn’t engage, he creates and shares a brief video outlining how the targeted company or brand is engaged in DEI programming. He is particularly outspoken about companies with programming associated with the LGBTQIA community.
  • Then, he calls on his followers to pressure the company or brand and demand they scale back their programming. This includes providing the company’s customer care phone number and sometimes the names and contact information of company executives.
  • If the company scales back its programming, Starbuck claims victory.
 
What Companies Should Consider

How can companies determine whether they will hear from Starbuck or his followers? Here are five questions to ask yourself if you are concerned about finding yourself the subject of his efforts.

  1. What is the extent of your DEI programming? Starbuck appears to be particularly targeting companies that participate in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index. If your company participates, it seems you might be a more likely target. Several of the companies Starbuck has approached have subsequently withdrawn participation in the program.
  2. What is your brand or company’s ethos? Many companies today align their brands behind social causes or issues because doing so reflects their values. The extent to how visibly your company or brand promotes or engages in such causes could be a factor in determining whether you catch Starbuck’s or his followers’ attention.
  3. How big and publicly visible is your brand? Starbuck understands the public will pay more attention to his efforts when he involves household names. This is not to say lesser-known companies and brands are completely off his radar, but the bigger the name, it seems, the more likely Starbuck will pay attention to you.
  4. Who are your customers or other important stakeholders? Most of the companies and brands Starbuck has called out thus far can be considered “heartland” companies: Deere, Tractor Supply Company, or Harley-Davidson come to mind. To put words in Starbuck’s mouth, these are companies he seems to believe are less likely to have “woke” customers and other stakeholders (they ride Harleys, drink Coors Light, and use Black and Decker tools).
  5. What is the value of your DEI programming to your business? You likely can quantify the impact of your DEI programming in terms of how it helps you attract employees, build customer loyalty, or gain favorability in the communities you serve. The bigger the impact (and the more entrenched the programming is in your business), the more difficult it will be to walk away.
Begin by Having a Plan

Now is the time to evaluate your vulnerability to this or any other kind of campaign. Alpha Advisory Group recommends that all companies conduct a reputational risk assessment to understand where they might find themselves in crisis. We also recommend you have a formal crisis communications plan and team in place that can respond rapidly when issues arise. And as it relates to DEI and other social-issue-related programming, start the discussion now on whether you would scale back programming if your company is asked to reconsider its position.

The quicker and more effectively you respond, the less likely your company or brand will be drawn into a protracted campaign that could affect your reputation among key stakeholders.