Examples such as the Bud Light social media post featuring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney have been highlighted, while one commentator simultaneously conflated this with [former jewellery company boss] Gerald Ratner denigrating his products way back before social media even existed.

These examples are not the same and, in my mind, references to brands acting like "the morality police" feels to me like a veiled reference to brands and organisations beginning to embed diversity, equity and inclusion into their internal cultures and external marketing campaigns.

People from underrepresented or marginalised communities highly appreciate and value being "seen", and this is something understood by some mainstream brands – you only need to look at the work Celebrity Cruises and former boss Jo Rzymowska have done championing safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ communities as evidence of this.

Far from brands existing to serve commercial interests only, it is now more important than ever that brands use their platforms "for good" in a political environment that is increasingly fractured and divisive. For brands in the travel sector to remain relevant, and to future-proof their businesses, it is now imperative they demonstrate the values they stand for.

We know Gen-Z are job-hopping more than any other generation before them as they value how they are treated above their salary. As one 25-year-old advertising executive put it to me: "We’re not loyal, we need more than just a salary to make us stay, we need to know we are treated well and have peace of mind."

Closing the ‘say/do’ gap

We also know inclusion and "being seen" in the workplace matters for everyone; research conducted by [DEI consultancy] The Unmistakables indicates inclusion is a universal need for all of us, with our very willingness to stay in a workplace dependent on it.

This way of thinking extends to the ways in which brands are now viewed by the public. They have to do more than "sell stuff". Brands have to stand for something, and the ones that are willing to forgo customers in the process are the ones that really demonstrate they’re walking the talk and closing the "say/do" gap.

The travel sector has an opportunity to make significant gains by embedding inclusion firmly and deeply in internal cultures, to move beyond meeting hiring quotas, and in external marketing campaigns, to move beyond simply casting for "diversity". A well thought through, long-term strategy for inclusion will yield tangible business results for travel brands currently dipping their toes in the water.

So, to all those people asserting brands should "stay in their lane" when it comes to demonstrating what they stand for beyond "the product", to paraphrase Gerald Ratner himself, I say this: “What a load of crap!" Consumer expectations are changing, and for brands to remain relevant, they need to evolve accordingly – or risk being relegated to the depths of our memories.

Shilpa Saul is inclusive communications director at The Unmistakables, and has nearly 30 years’ experience in PR, marketing and communications. She is a former head of PR and communications at Royal Caribbean.