Shut up and sell the product

I have always been against brands wading into the cultural conversation regarding any topic du jour for several reasons.
The first reason is that advertisers and their agencies are cynical and only care about a movement long enough to enter it into an award show. This is why I’ve watched Cannes Lions being handed out in unofficial but implied categories like: “Helping Africa get water” “Kony2012” “Syrian refugees” “Black Lives Matter,” and now “Trans rights.”
With very few exceptions this is just a cynical plot to win awards. And I know this because A. Africa still struggles with drought, B. Kony is in hiding, C. Syria is still a shit show, and D. Black Lives Matter is almost broke and only donated 33% of the near hundred million dollars raised.
And now, people are surprised when the brands who jumped onto the trans rights topic to get a better ESG score have all of a sudden not stood up for this cause when there was a backlash against it. Anheuser-Busch is hemorrhaging, its sales down 30% in just a few months due to a catastrophic partnership with Dylan Mulvany for Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch brand Budweiser tried to placate its traditional audience by running pro-American ads which many seemed as a hollow gesture.
Target has allegedly received backlash from anti-trans groups upset at their “tuck friendly” merchandise as well as pro-trans groups who feel the organization isn’t doing enough to support the community.
I say “allegedly,” because aside from some articles in left-leaning or right-leaning sites, we haven’t seen receipts, so to speak. Each side will believe whatever they wish.
What any of that has to do with selling products is beyond me.
Both sides of the political spectrum have engaged in this boycott behavior. Sleeping Giants, a left-leaning social media activism group has been pressuring brands to stop advertising on conservative outlets for years including Fox News, Rebel News in Canada and. Conexão Política in Brazil among other outlets. And now we are seeing this with conservative groups who are boycotting beer, big box stores, and...Chik-fil-a?
Even what seemed like safe ground for conservatives is now a battleground for the culture war, after the fast food company's Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives spread online. This is the same company that endured protests from liberals and LGBTQ activists until the company stopped donating to Christian organizations that opposed same-sex marriage.
Black Rifle Coffee Company, a staunchly conservative coffee company (whatever that means), owned by a veteran, came under fire a few years ago when its founder Evan Hafer appeared to make derogatory statements toward their conservative base, which caused Hafer to create a response video. The coffee company's stock went from a high of 29.45 to where it's currently hovering around the $5.50 mark.

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