via washingtonexaminer:
During a 1990 Senate race, in which there was pressure on Michael Jordan to endorse a certain candidate, he refrained from doing so, famously saying, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.” The basic message of this quote was true then and is true now.
Unfortunately, in recent years, some companies seem to have forgotten this, opting instead to dive headfirst into the most controversial political and cultural matters of the day. We all know the recent examples: Bud Light recruiting Dylan Mulvaney to do an advertisement, Disney actively opposing a Florida law prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for grades K-3, the Los Angeles Dodgers honoring an anti-Catholic group, and the MLB “yanking” the All-Star Game from Georgia over a benign voting law.
But a new Wall Street Journal report says this may not be the case for much longer. The Wall Street Journal explains: “What is changing now, executives and corporate advisers said, is that conservative groups and political leaders are pushing back against companies more forcefully. Consumers are also more openly expressing frustration that companies are airing views in ways some don’t welcome.” As opposed to past approaches, current backlashes have “more teeth,” one former Disney high-up said.
In interviews with various executives, it is made clear that these companies are calculating all the costs and benefits of speaking out on a given topic. At least one company “uses an internal scoring system to determine if, and when, it makes sense for the company to comment on matters that may offend some of its customers and employees or affect its brands.” In light of recent events, though, this company “reexamined an older evaluation process.”
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