Ford profits soar with "traditional values" boycott - UPDATE
From 2005 to 2008 the boycott-happy Christian rightist organization American Family Association was touting its alleged success at beating down Ford Motor Company with a boycott because of that company's gay-friendly marketing at Pride events.
Never mind that American car manufacturers across the board were suffering from weak sales and bloated inventories of gas hogs during an economic recession. Today, Bloomberg business analysts project Ford may report a 2009 net profit of as much as $2.65 billion.
While Ford has been earning billions of dollars the past year, the AFA website has gone strangely silent about its boycott, taking credit instead for such things as blocking the nomination of Erroll Southers, to head up the Transportation Security Administration. AFA is one of the most self-promoting (as well as self-righteous) organizations I’ve ever seen and they do an amazing job of stroking their maghas.
If Ford’s experience is any indication of real world results, manufacturers might want to consider ways to get on the AFA’s shit list.
UPDATE (01/28/2010):
A reader comment by the hetero-pride activist and openly Christian Philos 777 alerts me of the need to update this post.
According to media reports, AFA unilaterally ended their boycott of Ford in 2008, claiming "the conditions of the original agreement presented in fall 2005 have been met."
I was inspired to write this post for the simple reason that I was unable to find any information about the end of the boycott on the AFA website (google link), and I cannot find any there now.
Still, the end of the boycott was reported elsewhere, and I failed to notice that. It changes the look of things, but only slightly.
I'm not the only person questioning the effectiveness of the AFA boycott strategy for stoking members and raising millions for the Wildmons in Tupelo. According to one Business Journal blogger at that time, Ford remains staunchly "pro-gay", despite the petition rattling and boycott threats. The writer casts other doubts on the AFA announcement as well.
I would also like to ask Philos: What happened in the year and a half or so after the boycott ended? Market trends rarely shift so quickly.
Did millions of AFA members suddenly fulfill their pent up desires to go out and buy Ford products during the middle of a recession after the boycott was over, causing Ford sales to soar?
I didn't think so either.
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Comments
OEsheepdog: a camel? Oh wait... that's a cigarette, isn't it?
I did notice my tongue poking the inside of my cheek while writing the headline, but figured turn about is fair play.
Cap'n: All GM has to do to draw down the wrath of the AFA is to sponsor a gay pride picnic somewhere. Or maybe advertise on LOGO.
It was good business and spot on forecasting that has resulted in turning a profit now. The boycott by this group or the support of Ford by gays has nothing to do with their current good fortune because neither swing that big of a hammer to have any impact.
You won't get an argument from me.
Now, go tell that to the Rev. Donald Wildmon, or his son, or his followers at AFA in Tupelo. They're probably richer than Ford.
just to piss them off!
The idea of boycotting companies is nothing new. In theory I agree with the idea of consumers protesting by giving or removing support in the way of sales. Unfortunately many groups at the drop of a hat will declare a boycott without honestly opening up a dialog with the company and trying to understand each others position.
Usually these type of boycotts are more to preach to the choir or to try and gain some national exposure for their group or leader.
Companies do listen and will change if their bottom line is effected by the boycott. I remember back in the 80s there was a boycott against Clorox and it did gain wide support and they not only changed their policies, but the president himself made the rounds apologizing to those they offended.
It make little sense to spend millions on advertising and goodwill only to have it evaporate from public unrest. It can damage a brand for years.
You're sooooo funny. You would manipulate the facts to serve your own delusions and get more libtard Christian bashers commenting in your silly mutual hate society.
Read it and weep.
________________________________________
BIZNETDAILY
Flinch! Ford finally bends, homosexual boycott over
Activists say carmaker meets conditions
as sales plunged 8% per month since '05
________________________________________
Posted: March 10, 2008
8:38 pm Eastern
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
In the face of plummeting car sales, Ford Motor Company has taken steps to reduce its aggressive, pro-homosexual policies, prompting a family-rights group to call off its boycott of the carmaker.
The American Family Association says it's suspending its two-year boycott of Ford, noting the auto giant has met the conditions of the original agreement between AFA and Ford from 2005
AFA Chairman Donald Wildmon said the original agreement between the family group and Ford contained four items:
• Ford would not renew current promotions or create future incentives that give cash donations to homosexual organizations based on the purchase of a vehicle.
• Ford would not make corporate donations to homosexual organizations that, as part of their activities, engage in political or social campaigns to promote civil unions or same-sex marriage.
• Ford would stop giving cash and vehicle donations or endorsements to homosexual social activities such as 'gay'-pride parades.
• Ford would cease all advertising on homosexual websites and through homosexual media outlets (magazines, television, radio) in the U.S. with the exception of $100,000 to be used by Volvo. The Volvo ads would be the same ads used in the general media and not aimed at the homosexual community specifically.
Wildmon said a few minor issues remain, and AFA will continue to bring these to the attention of Ford.
According to AFA, during the 24 months the boycott was in effect, Ford sales dropped an average of 8 percent per month. The organization said its boycott was not entirely responsible for the drop in sales, but played a very significant role. A total of 780,365 individuals had signed AFA's Boycott Ford petition.
Yeah, you read it right. 780,365 signatures. I guarantee that Ford has NEVER EVER received a petition with that many signatures for any issue before. Great job AFA.
In recent years, car sales have plummeted. GM's and Ford's. Since AFA didn't boycott GM, the fact that their sales dropped, too, implies it is the market, not some stupid boycott.
In no analysis of the car market and Ford's place in it, does the boycott figure.
In short, no matter how many signatures were on the petition, the AFA boycott didn't make a damn bit of difference.
I'm sure some Corporate Communications guy from Ford spent some time figuring out how to throw a sop to the AFA without changing a bit of corporate policy. Agreeing not to donate to specific interest groups when Ford had no plans to donate to any groups might have been an item.
Thanks for the fact checking. I would not have written this post the way I did if I had seen that information on the AFA website. I searched for it and did not see it.
However, it IS there, and it was reported elsewhere, so I will update my post to reflect that information as soon as I can.
There are some weaknesses to your suggestion that the boycott was effective and I will probably address that as well.
Isn't it wonderful how both sides here want to claim victory. We all know the economy tanked. But trying to explain away the fact that Ford met the boycott requirements is tough. Ford obviously wants to present itself as socially conscious and sensitive to traditional values also. They also want to sell cars to straits and gays alike.
As long as companies specifically and openly court gays as a demographic, organizations like AFA have a responsibility to challenge them. We should all be glad that the economy is turning around.
So, should there be moral boundaries to a society? Who should define the moral boundaries of a society?
You are spouting some wishful thinking and not backing your comments up with any references. Readers here deserve more respect than that.
I would also appreciate it if you'd consider posting a response on your own blog, rather than trying to debate the issue in comments here. Most people have read this post and moved on. Few would read about any disagreement now.
Oh wait... I just noticed the Editors have deigned to give this piece of fluff a coveted Editor's Pick!
I really don't understand them at all. Of all the posts I've ever made on OS (and most of them are long gone now), this is one of the least deserving choices, imo.
GO READ MY REAL BLOG INSTEAD!
Just admit that you saw Ford's profits, thought the boycott was ongoing and were wrong. Then admit that 780,365 signature may just have had something to do with Ford's reduced support to gay issues.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=58587
Like the petition that cannot be independently verified, it appears to be nothing more than reprint of a press release from AFA. A press release that can no longer be found on their site. Please correct me by providing a link to it.