You guys seem to think “these people” have just started their lives in the past year. That’s the part I find so amusing.
Hardly. I've been warning about this group of people since Corporate America decided to destroy Anita Bryant over her opposition to queer advocacy.
Was having a discussion with an acquaintance earlier today about the bible addressing transvestism. No, we are aware of how long this stuff has been going on.
That was the turning point.
Honestly, the part I don’t understand is who are these companies trying to reach?
The Bud Light thing was a marketing afterthought—they sent personalized beer cans to many, many influencers. There was not real “thought” beyond the number of “followers” that person had. It simply blew up, out of control. The reason why no one there seemed to take ownership is that it was more of a campaign that an intern would do—rather than some full blown, thought out, marketing effort.
But, other companies are up front about this stuff in a way that makes me wonder who they are trying to attract? For example, Target customers are about as middle class American as you can get. Do they think they are going to attract MORE middle class Americans by their Pride Line?
My wife works for a marketing department. I watch what they do to “market” their hospital network. Almost none of their efforts have a target, nor do they measure the financial impact of their campaigns.
30 years ago I ran a regional marketing department of a large CATV company. We wouldn’t spend $100 without doing a projection and measurement document to justify our time and money. If we did not achieve our targets, there were reviews and post mortem to ensure we did not miss it next time.
These companies seem to be ignoring their core constituents and doing stuff that they “think” will make customers like them.
I often refer to Michael Jordan’s comments about why he isn’t so political: “Republicans buy sneakers too!”
So, we both scratch our heads about the end game of these efforts. We might not agree on all aspects of it...but promoting something for 1.5% of your customer base just seems stupid.
But...that said, I don’t think discriminating against someone trying to make a living is ever a good thing. The person is selling cars. They are not trying to convert anyone, or impose their views. Thats where I probably lose you guys.