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Posted on 07/27/2012 4:25:08 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A has long stood by its Bible-based roots, keeping stores closed on Sundays and donating millions to Christian causes. But when its president, Dan Cathy, went public to defend his company's stance against gay marriage, he set off a considerable controversy that has everyone from politicians to puppets weighing in.
First telling the Baptist Press his company supported the "biblical definition of the family unit," Cathy then told the radio program The Ken Coleman Show, "I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about."
The backlash spread swiftly. Boston's mayor pledged to block the chicken sandwich stores from opening in Beantown, a Chicago alderman said he'll try to stop a franchise from opening in his ward and the Jim Henson Co. cutoff its Chick-fil-A collaboration. Because it's a private company, it will be difficult to measure the bottom-line impact of all the attention.
Social Media Spread
Americus Reed, a marketing professor at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School who studies brand loyalty, says Cathy underestimated what might happen once his comments to a niche religious publication and a syndicated radio show spread to a wider audience.
"I think this is part of the wake-up call for companies to understand that social media makes these decisions very, very risky," Reed said, "because it's much easier now for these messages to get out to consumers and consumers to virtually organize."
Support For Gay Rights
But other companies see the risks of going public on controversial issues differently. This year, a handful of big brands have made headlines for taking the opposite side — supporting same-sex rights and benefits.
"From time to time we are going to make a decision that we think is consistent with the heritage and the tradition of the company that perhaps may be inconsistent with one group's view of the world," Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, said at a shareholder meeting in March.
He explained the coffee giant's pro-gay positions were about making its employees proud — and aligning with its corporate values.
"Since we made that decision there has not been any dilution whatsoever in our business, and as you can see, shareholder value has increased significantly," Schultz said, citing revenue growth in the face of efforts like DumpStarbucks.com, led by pro-family organizations.
The lure of dollars from a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender market is another likely motivator for taking certain social stands. Marketing firm Witeck-Combs estimated the LGBT market's buying power at $800 billion last year.
"I think it's a sign of the times to try and speak to other groups that potentially one has not had a connection with, and that's just part and parcel with trying to grow your market," Reed said.
But beyond the big bucks, corporate reputation specialist Sekou Bermiss says companies may be motivated to contribute to community good.
"More and more, you see firms that are trying to or feel obliged to certain issues in society, [to] do some greater good in society," Bermiss said.
Boycotts And Bottom Lines
Starbucks, Target and General Mills all stepped into the same-sex marriage issue by supporting gay marriage legislation in their home states. Each face ongoing boycotts led by the American Family Association and the National Organization for Marriage for doing so. The National Organization for Marriage said it's uncertain whether its boycotts are having an impact on businesses.
And after JC Penney hired Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson, the socially conservative group One Million Moms called for her firing.
"They wanted to get me fired and I'm proud and happy to say that JC Penney stuck by their decision to make me their spokesperson," DeGeneres said on her show. The retailer also started running Mother's Day and Father's Day ads featuring same-sex couples.
But Reed says companies that make a social argument for business gain should be prepared to change course if an outcry leads to longer term losses.
"Most brands are keeping their heads down because these are very controversial sorts of strategies. And it probably makes sense — good business sense — to not weigh in on these issues," Reed said.
That's a lesson Chick-fil-A seems to be learning quickly.
It declined requests for an interview, but in a statement said, "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate to the political arena
NPR has 0.0001% credibility with me or my family any more.
Excuse me NPR punks and punkettes, but I am unaware of any corporate policy at Chick-Fil-A regarding same sex marriage or any other gay rights agenda item. Mr. Cathy certainly has a personal opinion on the matter— but unless you can show me that Chick-Fil-A actually has a corporate position on the matter, maybe you should just stick to facts rather than shrill anti-Christian bigotry...
Argument No. 1:
Marriage usually results in parents.
Parents always have issue, offspring i.e., children., by definition.
2 Gays cannot have issue ever and not usually ever.
Ergo gays cannot fit definition of parents.
Ergo gays cannot fit the definition and actual reality of marriage.
Ergo- gay marriage is a fallacy and an oxymoron.
Argument No. 2:
Parents always have issue.
Sometimes the issue turns out to be gay.
Gays always issue from straight parents.
Gays cannot be issued from “gay marriages”.
Straights cannot be issued from “gay marriages”.
Ergo gays are dependent upon straight marriages` parents for their issue into the world.
Ergo married parents in such a “straight” marriage union is superior
to so-called “gay marriage”.
Therefore, there is no such thing as “straight marriage”, because “straight marriage” fulfills the defintion of “marriage” completely.
Ergo both are are unequal and
Therefore “gay marriage” and marriage are not the same.
The inferior “gay marriage” aspires to be the equal of traditional marrriage but is unequal as in above— Therefore
“gay marriage” is a contradiction in terms.
Ergo, “gay marriage” is based on false assumptions.
Ergo, “gay marriage” is a falsehood in name and in fact.
Thus there is no such thing as “straight marriage” because it fulfills the entire definition of a marriage.
Argument No 3:
“Gay marriage” aspiring to be a part of the marriage defintion, cannot be that, because the part does not equal the whole.
Therefore “gay marriage” is also violating the unchanging principle of mathemathics wherein the Part does not equal the Whole.
Thus “gay marriage” is a complete falsehood.
Yeah, I've seen those headlines as well already. Oh, well I'll be looking for some other online business to deal with from now on. I have spent a lot of money with Amazon up until now. I've already deleted their bookmark from my browser. Not another penny will be spent with a company that sides with moral decadence and corruption. Hey, it's my money and I'll spend it where I want and I wish not to spend with a company who jumps into bed with the looney queers and fags.
Because of all the pro-homo laws being passed/ruled, they think they have us on the run. They are in for a rude awakening.
My grandfather knew James Cash Penney who enlisted his help opening the early stores across the country. He told me many stories about J.C. Penney's founder. I know for certain that not only is James Penney rolling in his grave, but my grandfather is rolling in his grave to see this great business slouching towards Gomorrah.
Today, I see J.C. Penney slouching towards Chapter 11 and they are seriously misguided if they think they can patronize the gay community enough to pull them out from disaster. They are playing a very big gamble in a game with serious consequences.
The nearest one to me is 26 miles away but I will be making it a point to travel there as often as I can. I plan to drive there within the next day or so just to get some of their fine food and even get some to take home with me. I just realized that I hadn't eaten there for many years and that is about to change.
Sad thing is the fruit community does not frequent places like Chic-fil-A nor JC Penney. Amazon perhaps but they have lost my business as has JC Penney(I’ve purchased all of my kids school clothes there in the past).
Companies might want to stop and research who their actual customers are before jumping on the bandwagon of perversion. Most of this harrassment is just posturing to see how much control they can gain over middle America and what we think and believe.
The problem is that about half of the 98% have been convinced that homosexuality is a protected class and to oppose their wishes is to be a bigot.
In my part of the country we don’t have Chick-fil-A restaurants and I never heard of them until this flap. This week I had a stop over in Philadelphia and there was a Chick-fil-A in the food court. I ordered up a sandwich, waffle fries and drink and thanked the clerk. It was great and the line at C-f-A was longer than any other line in the food area.
Yeah, I noted this sentence in the lede. My recollection, too, is that Mr. Cathy was merely expressing a personal opinion.
Then they would be MSNBC Jr.
The “backlash” they mention is devastating in my area. There used to be 4 or 5 cars in line at lunch time at the 2 Chick-fil-a’s near my house.
I have to go to another store in the strip malls around lunch 3 or 4 times a week. Since the “backlash”, cars are wrapped around the Chick-fil-a’s waiting for the drive-through. At one of them, I need to use a different entrance to the parking lot because my normal one is blocked by Chick-fil-a traffic. I didn’t understand what was going on until I read about the “backlash”. Now it makes sense.
I pass one on my way home from work everyday . . . so this week, I have had my evening meal there twice - they make good salads with chicken if one is counting calories. The peach milk shake looked mighty tempting.
I am a new customer, and plan to make a stop there every week now.
“But Reed says companies that make a social argument for business gain should be prepared to change course if an outcry leads to longer term losses.” -—
But this cuts both ways. Maybe they expect Chick-Fil-A to suffer losses with the gay backlash, but something very different may occur:
1. Chick -Fil-A may garner more, not less, support for this gay outcry
2. The rainbow agenda may have unwittingly planted the seeds of their own downfall: Chick-Fil-A may be a siren call for traditional and Christian people and businesses to start standing their ground.
Gay popularity in culture not only can decline, IT CAN EVEN BE REVERSED. And that is something the rainbow crowd ought not to forget.
Penny’s is paying the price for sinful deviance, and soon will not be in business.
Chick-Fil-A is thriving and will continue to grow.
Seems like an easy choice to me.
I’m planning to take an extra hour for lunch tomorrow so I can drive the 30 miles to the nearest one; sounds like I’d better add another half hour to wait in line. Never heard of the place before Menino’s little Screw Free Speech diatribe, but I figure to give them as much business as I can.
Translation of this headline from the progressive, state-run media:
"Let this be a lesson to you other companies. If you aren't going to speak out in favor of our progressive causes, keep your mouths shut."
The peach shakes are out of this world.
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