geoff: June is pride month, a
time when many companies show
their support for and
celebration of the lgbtq+
community by launching pride
month campaigns, displaying
pride merchandise and including
lgbtq+ people in ads and
marketing.
But this year, after weeks of
political attacks, right-wing
backlash has forced some
companies to rethink pride.
William brangham has more.
William: Some protestors have
started calling out dozens of
companies over their pride
campaigns.
In just the last few months,
companies like bud-light,
target, PetSmart, Nike, the
north face and Adidas have all
faced right-wing protests over
lgbtq+ products and ads and
partnerships.
Activists have taken their
criticism to social media and
spread false information over
pride products targeting kids,
like these at target.
>> We are like 10 steps in
before there is an entire pride
display for your children to
see.
>> We have ´glad you came out'
and ´I am so happy that you're
queer'in the kids section.
>> Do you support this?
You support pride propaganda?
Wow, let go.
William: Boycotts, employee
harassment and threats of
violence have prompted companies
including target
to pull back some pride
initiatives.
For more on this backlash, we're
joined by Bob witeck, president
of witeck communications, which
is a firm specializing in lgbtq+
marketing.
Thank you so much for being
here.
You've been in the business of
consulting companies for 30
years.
Would you say that there is a
demonstrable uptick in these
types of protests happening
towards companies right now?
Bob: I would say two things.
One, we are in a moment.
But the backlash that we're
witnessing is hardly spontaneous
or authentic or organic.
It's primarily instigated
backlash.
A feigned indignation for
example, against one beer was a
calculated tactic, and it was
used by anti-woke provocateurs
frankly, who had political
agendas.
I think Budweiser tripped a wire
that offered some an invitation
to exploit.
William: And is it your sense
that this is -- again, I know
you're arguing that this is a
ginned up and nonorganic
movement.
But you were telling us before
that this has been going on in
some fashion for many, many
years
Bob: About 30 years ago, I began
doing work with American
airlines, and 30 years ago, they
faced an onslaught of right wing
backlash that at the time, I
believe was intended to change
the direction of the culture.
What they witnessed was the
corporation got behind the gay
community.
Others would follow.
They wanted to shame and
frightened American airlines out
of the market.
They failed.
William: I know you're not a
social scientist, but if you
believe that this is not an
organic movement, what do you
attribute all of these attacks
to?
Bob: Well, I think the political
moment tells us that the united
States is driven by division and
the so-called anti-woke
activists are trying to find
every wedge possible and they're
wielding them in the hands of
candidates to use it to attack
drag shows, to attack books in
schools.
To attack trans kids.
And they're taking on a variety
of exploitable topics that do
divide the American households.
William: You mentioned this
protest against Budweiser.
And that was because Budweiser
had done this partnership with a
trans woman.
And that protest that came up
seemed to dent Budweiser sales.
Did you hear from other
companies who said looking at
that experience we don't want to
, have that same thing happened
to us?
Bob: It did give other companies
pause.
But they need to examine the
case that bud light took.
The brand sales were already
slipping and they made a
miscalculation I think to try to
expand consumer loyalty and
their timing and worse, it was
the response that seemed most
amateurish.
No brand or corporation would
want to be in bud light shoes
when they offended almost
everyone.
That was the problem.
Corporate reputation.
It's not so much about sales,
which are always going to be
somewhat volatile.
It's about standing and
reputation.
William: In that particular
case, that was a protest against
bud light's connection to a
trans individual and and trans
people do seem to be the target
of a particular level of ire.
Have you seen that?
Bob: Unfortunately, yes, but it
speaks to is the dehumanizing of
whole group of people.
The lgbtq community is not alien
to this.
We've felt it over many, many
years.
But trans people particularly
are being put into a position to
be so dehumanized that it's
frightening and many families
and trans people justifiably are
afraid.
William: So when you are
counseling companies and they
come to you, and they say we
would like to appeal to this
part of America but we don't
want to suffer one of these
boycotts, how do you counsel
them how to navigate that?
Bob: There are three things they
ought to think about in the
beginning.
First, what is it you stand for?
What are your values?
What are your principles?
And if you know what those are
and you stick to them, you can
weather almost any setback or
any challenge.
But also you have to invest your
campaigns in those values.
When you show images and
expressions of lgbtq people, do
it honestly, authentically, and
do it for a purpose.
And finally, when you are
challenged, stand up.
Because I think at the end of
the day, you will discover that
the marketplace will imbue you
with more trust and more
integrity for the future.
The storms come and go, but
you're standing is going to be
what you're going to be tested
by.
William: I understand that
there's also been some criticism
of corporate America from within
the lgbtq+ community, parts of
it.
That they have been cowardly or
not standing up enough for not
doing enough.
How serious is that criticism?
Bob: I think that is a sense of
unity.
What the community leaders want
to do is embolden and stiffen
the spines of corporate America
who are traditional allies and
partners in the gay community.
They have been with us and on
our side I think for decades.
What they want to do is make
sure they understand that
fairweather friends are no
friends.
William: All right, Bob witteck
, thank you for being here.
Bob: Thank you.
♪♪