The Shifting Landscape of Trust, DEI, and Content Moderation: How Brands Are Navigating Change

Over the past few months, a clear divide has emerged in the positioning strategies of brands, apps, and digital platforms. The shifts in content moderation, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) are no longer just corporate policy decisions. They have become markers of trust, long-term value creation, and the evolving social contract between businesses and users.

In the US, political and corporate shifts are leading some businesses to step back from DEI and ESG commitments, while others are reinforcing their trust-building strategies. These changes are not just theoretical, they impact user behaviour, customer acquisition, and retention.

At Kurve, we have seen this play out firsthand. Some of the fastest-growing brands we work with the likes of Sweatcoin, Commons and Bounty are those that are doubling down on trust, safety, and clear value alignment. Commons, for example, a sustainability-focused lifestyle app, has seen a 10x increase in organic growth by becoming a trusted source of clarity in an environment where misinformation and greenwashing are on the rise.

At the same time, other brands are making opportunistic shifts, distancing themselves from DEI or loosening their moderation policies to align with changing political tides. But does this really create long-term value?

Two Paths: Trust-Driven Growth vs. Opportunistic Shifts

Businesses are making one of two fundamental choices in response to these shifts.

Path 1: Trust-Driven Growth (Sustainable, Inclusive, Long-Term Value Creation)

Brands that reinforce trust, inclusivity, and ethical governance are seeing sustained growth because users are actively seeking clarity and reliability in uncertain times.

Examples:

• Commons – A sustainability-driven lifestyle app providing clarity in ethical spending.
• Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Ecosia – Brands that have continued to prioritise ESG and inclusivity, maintaining strong customer loyalty despite shifting political narratives.
• Apps and marketplaces that maintain high moderation standards to create safe, respectful, and inclusive communities.

Why this path works: Trust is a long-term growth driver. The brands that build authentic, purpose-driven engagement with their audiences are more resilient to political cycles and short-term market trends.

Path 2: Opportunistic Shifts (Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Risk)

Some businesses are scaling back on DEI, ESG, or content moderation commitments, either for political alignment, financial efficiency, or positioning themselves within emerging platform dynamics.

But this does not just impact brand identity, it fundamentally alters customer relationships.

We have seen:

• Brands distancing themselves from DEI and ESG commitments, leading to disengagement from core audiences.
• Social platforms reducing content moderation, opening up spaces for misinformation, divisive narratives, and more hostile user environments.
• An emerging wave of brands adopting “anti-woke” positioning, capitalising on cultural divides but risking long-term reputation damage.

The lesson here? Brands that retreat from trust-building may see short-term gains but face long-term risks in customer retention, brand equity, and regulatory pressures.

The Cultural Undercurrents: What Media Can Teach Us

These shifts are not just playing out in boardrooms and digital platforms, they are also reflected in contemporary media and storytelling.

Take HBO’s Industry, Season 3, where the collapse of Lumi, a fictional green-energy company, serves as a critique of how some ESG initiatives are being co-opted as performative rather than substantive commitments. The narrative exposes how public trust in corporate ethics is fragile and that businesses must back up their claims with genuine long-term impact, not just positioning.

This shift mirrors real-world dynamics. Once-unquestioned ESG policies are now being tested against financial returns, market conditions, and consumer trust.

John Hendrickson, writing in The Atlantic in his piece "The End of the DEI Era", offers an interesting perspective on how opposition to DEI has evolved from a fringe argument to a powerful force influencing corporate and governmental policies. His analysis sheds light on the growing alignment between political movements and corporate strategy, a shift that brands and digital platforms must navigate carefully. While the long-term impact of this movement remains uncertain, its influence on how businesses position themselves and communicate with their audiences is already being felt.

Where Growth is Happening

The brands that are winning right now are those that:

✔ Offer clarity and credibility when misinformation is rising.

✔ Foster long-term trust, rather than short-term market reactions.

✔ Maintain high standards for user safety, inclusivity, and ethical governance.

Entrepreneurs like Sanchali Pal, founder of Commons, are setting new standards for trust-driven growth. They are not just navigating uncertainty, they are thriving by reinforcing clarity, authenticity, and a firm sense of purpose.

At Kurve, we have seen this reflected in the businesses we work with. Apps that lean into trust-building, sustainable community engagement, and long-term user value are achieving higher retention, stronger brand equity, and more sustainable growth trajectories.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Digital Trust

The next year will determine how brands, platforms, and apps adapt to these shifts. The future of digital trust depends on which path companies take and how they communicate that choice to their users.

What we know for sure:

✔ Brands that maintain trust-driven growth will be more resilient to political cycles and consumer shifts.

✔ Short-term positioning shifts may backfire, leading to lost engagement and credibility.

✔ Apps and brands that reinforce user safety, inclusivity, and transparency will continue to build stronger long-term value.

If you are an app founder or marketer navigating these changes, we would love to hear your thoughts. How are you adapting to new trust and content moderation dynamics?