Is Jones Soda Woke?

Company Overview

Jones Soda Co. (OTC: JSDA) is a Seattle-based craft soda manufacturer known for its photo-label bottles, creative flavor experiments, and direct-to-consumer personality. Founded in 1986, Jones Soda built its brand on customer-submitted photos printed directly on bottle labels, unusual flavors like Fufu Berry and Green Apple, and a counterculture aesthetic that appealed to skateboarders, surfers, and indie music fans. The company has a small but passionate following and distributes through specialty retailers, online channels, and select grocery chains. Unlike the beverage giants, Jones Soda has always positioned itself as the quirky, independent alternative — which makes its embrace of identity politics somewhat incongruous with its maverick image.

ESG & Sustainability

Jones Soda does not publish formal ESG or sustainability reports. As a small public company, it lacks the resources or institutional pressure to maintain a corporate responsibility apparatus. No ESG framework alignment, no carbon reduction targets, and no B Corp certification. Score: 0 points for ESG.

DEI Programs

While Jones Soda does not operate a formal DEI department or maintain identity-based hiring quotas, it has publicly positioned itself around diversity and inclusion messaging, particularly through its Pride campaigns. The company frames its LGBTQ+ advocacy as an extension of its community-values branding. In 2025, Newsweek-style coverage of diversity in the beverage industry noted Jones Soda's community-focused approach. This public diversity and inclusion positioning earns 10 points on our scale.

LGBTQ+ Advocacy

This is Jones Soda's primary woke dimension, and it is substantial. The company has participated in Pride parades and LGBTQ+ community events since 1998 — over 25 years of continuous Pride activism. In 2019, Jones Soda released a limited-edition Pride Cream Soda with vibrant labels and partnered with Egale Canada for an influencer campaign promoting LGBTQ+ awareness. In May 2023, the company launched a full collection of Pride labels designed by LGBTQ artists including Matt Gold and Left at London, featuring augmented-reality (AR) "Reel Labels" that shared the artists' personal stories when scanned with a phone. These Pride collections were sold at major retailers including Target and Cost Plus World Market. The depth and longevity of this Pride involvement — from parade participation to charity donations to branded product lines — earns the full 25 points for Pride sponsorship. However, Jones Soda has no verified HRC Corporate Equality Index score, so it does not earn the additional 25 points in that category.

Political Activity

Jones Soda has no corporate PAC, makes no documented political donations, and has not engaged in partisan political advocacy. The company's activism is focused entirely on cultural and identity-based issues rather than electoral politics. No CEO Action for Diversity pledge signature was found.

Consumer Impact

Jones Soda scores 35/100, placing it firmly in the "woke" category but on the lower end. Its woke footprint is concentrated entirely in LGBTQ+ activism — 25 years of Pride parades, Pride-themed product lines sold at Target, and artist-designed labels promoting LGBTQ+ stories. The company has no ESG bureaucracy, no PAC donations, no HRC CEI score, and no CEO Action pledge. For conservative consumers, the Pride activism is the dealbreaker — buying Jones Soda products, particularly during Pride season, means supporting a company that has built LGBTQ+ advocacy into its brand identity for over two decades. That said, Jones Soda's overall woke profile is far lighter than the major beverage conglomerates like Coca-Cola or PepsiCo. For consumers who want a craft soda alternative without the Pride baggage, smaller regional brands like Cheerwine, Ale-8-One, or regional root beer producers offer cleaner options. Jones Soda is a reminder that even small, independent companies can be captured by identity politics — and that values-based shoppers should check a brand's Pride participation before assuming that "independent" equals "apolitical."