Politics and Marketing Don’t Mix
July 23rd, 2012 by Bob Bly
Recently the Jim Henson Company announced that they would no longer permit Chick-fil-A to give away Muppet toys.
The reason: The CEO of the Jim Henson Company supports gay marriage and the CEO of Chick-fil-A does not.
Wouldn’t the CEOs be better off keeping their politics and positions on social issues private?
How could announcing them not alienate at least a portion of their market?
On the other hand, maybe you admire them for taking a stand.
This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2012 at 2:40 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:22 pm
I’m pretty sure Chick-fil-A doesn’t consider gay marriage a social issue or a political issue. It’s in the same category as abortion. It’s either right or wrong, according to biblical standards. It’s why they aren’t open for business on Sunday, as I understand it. I think social/political issues (to them) would be more like tax issues or things of that nature.
And yes, I admire them.
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:32 pm
The companies who are outspoken about their politics all seem to be pretty successful, so they must have a good idea of what their target customers already believe. I think politics and marketing can mix if you think of the politics as part of the product. If there is enough demand, it will be successful. On the other hand, if I was an employee at a company that suddenly announced a position I disagreed with, I would resent the fact that they were effectively trying to speak for me without my consent or agreement.
July 23rd, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Dan Kennedy makes it abundantly clear in his books and newsletters what he thinks about Obama and government in general.
Sometimes it fits the personality and brand.
July 24th, 2012 at 8:44 am
Braden: Yes, but Dan is a curmudgeon and consultant, not a consumer brand or large corporation.
July 29th, 2012 at 8:53 am
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August 30th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Dan C was asked the question, he didn’t just decide one day to discuss this for the media. As usual, the liberal media looks for controversy with conservative christians.
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