Feels Targeted: A Business Audit of Target Corporation’s DEI and Pride Inconsistencies with Analysis through the Political and Symbolic Frameworks
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Antonio Spikes
Location
Russell Union Room 2041
Type of Research
Completed
Session Format
Oral Presentation
College
College of Arts & Humanities
Department
Department of Communication Arts
Abstract
Target tends to be the first corporation to come to mind when one thinks of DEI and Pride campaigns. This is largely due to the fact that Target has used their historically inclusive DEI programs and Pride campaigns as a marketing and PR backboard in the public eye. However, Target has scaled back or done away with these very programs and campaigns that brought them such notoriety and business in the first place. From the perspective of communications studies, this has two major implications. Symbolically, Target went from creating an environment of acceptance and empowerment to discrediting everything that environment had stood for. They utilized communicational strategies to appeal to members of racial, gender, and sexuality minority groups then turned around and destroyed any actual program that uplifted the voices and experiences of said minority groups. Politically, Target had used their DEI programs and Pride campaigns to influence more members of the aforementioned minority groups to shop at or get jobs at their stores. By rolling back these initiatives, they took the power away from employees and consumers within these minority groups. This took form in any way from layoffs to product removal.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 3:30 PM
End Date
4-23-2026 3:45 PM
Recommended Citation
Saranthus, Kaitlyn, "Feels Targeted: A Business Audit of Target Corporation’s DEI and Pride Inconsistencies with Analysis through the Political and Symbolic Frameworks" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 258.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/258
Feels Targeted: A Business Audit of Target Corporation’s DEI and Pride Inconsistencies with Analysis through the Political and Symbolic Frameworks
Russell Union Room 2041
Target tends to be the first corporation to come to mind when one thinks of DEI and Pride campaigns. This is largely due to the fact that Target has used their historically inclusive DEI programs and Pride campaigns as a marketing and PR backboard in the public eye. However, Target has scaled back or done away with these very programs and campaigns that brought them such notoriety and business in the first place. From the perspective of communications studies, this has two major implications. Symbolically, Target went from creating an environment of acceptance and empowerment to discrediting everything that environment had stood for. They utilized communicational strategies to appeal to members of racial, gender, and sexuality minority groups then turned around and destroyed any actual program that uplifted the voices and experiences of said minority groups. Politically, Target had used their DEI programs and Pride campaigns to influence more members of the aforementioned minority groups to shop at or get jobs at their stores. By rolling back these initiatives, they took the power away from employees and consumers within these minority groups. This took form in any way from layoffs to product removal.
