How Confident Are Marketers Talking About ED&I at Work?

Key findings

57% of UK marketing leads are confident discussing ED&I topics such as Pride with colleagues at work. 38% are not.
Only 16% are very confident.
Confidence is 77% in the public sector and 50% in the private sector.
It rises with size, from 52% in organisations with 50 to 249 employees to 71% in those with 5,000 or more.

How confident are marketers discussing ED&I at work?

More are confident than not, but not by much. We asked 300 UK marketing leads how confident they are discussing ED&I topics with colleagues. 57% are confident: 16% very and 41% fairly.

Almost four in ten (38%) are not: 27% not very confident and 11% not at all.

These are the people who brief, approve and sign off campaigns. Nearly two in five of them are not comfortable having the conversation internally.

Is the public sector more confident than the private sector?

Yes, by 27 points. Three in four public sector marketing leads (77%) are confident, against half (50%) in the private sector. More than four in ten private sector marketing leads (44%) are not confident, compared with 21% in the public sector.

Confident discussing ED&I topics at work

77%Public sector marketing leads

27-point gap

50%Private sector marketing leads

Base: 300 UK marketing leads at organisations with 50+ employees. Source: The Reality Department, September 2026.The Reality Department

Does company size make a difference?

It does, above 1,000 employees. Confidence is 52% in organisations with 50 to 249 employees and the same in those with 250 to 999. It rises to 63% at 1,000 to 4,999 and 71% at 5,000 or more.

Confidence talking about ED&I is a question of size and sector

How confident are you discussing ED&I topics (e.g. Pride) with colleagues at work?

All respondents

16%41%27%11%5%

Net 57%

By size

50 to 249 employees

12%40%28%13%7%

Net 52%

250 to 999

15%37%36%9%3%

Net 52%

1,000 to 4,999

23%40%18%13%6%

Net 63%

5,000+

19%52%19%7%3%

Net 71%

By sector

Private sector

14%36%31%13%6%

Net 50%

Public sector

21%56%16%5%2%

Net 77%

Very confident
Fairly confident
Not very confident
Not at all confident
Don’t know

Net is very plus fairly confident.

View data

Confidence talking about ED&I is a question of size and sector
Group	Very confident	Fairly confident	Not very confident	Not at all confident	Don’t know	Net
All respondents	16%	41%	27%	11%	5%	Net 57%
50 to 249 employees	12%	40%	28%	13%	7%	Net 52%
250 to 999	15%	37%	36%	9%	3%	Net 52%
1,000 to 4,999	23%	40%	18%	13%	6%	Net 63%
5,000+	19%	52%	19%	7%	3%	Net 71%
Private sector	14%	36%	31%	13%	6%	Net 50%
Public sector	21%	56%	16%	5%	2%	Net 77%

Base: 300 UK marketing leads at organisations with 50+ employees. Source: The Reality Department, September 2026.The Reality Department

What this means

Confidence follows infrastructure. Larger organisations and the public sector have ED&I teams, policies and training. The marketing leads there have had more practice at the conversation.

The same pattern shows up in what gets made. Public sector organisations mark more than twice as many moments as private sector ones. The teams least confident talking about ED&I are also the ones doing least of it.

For a marketing director in a mid-sized private business, the takeaway is practical. Before the brief for the next campaign, check whether the team is comfortable discussing the subject at all. If nearly half aren't, the campaign will be cautious, late or dropped, and nobody will have said why.

Frequently asked questions