A few days ago I posted about a story on Fox News’ website about Bible Studies at Coka-Cola and UPS. I also mentioned that I’d like to start a list of companies I support and another of companies I avoid and why. This is the first installment of companies I avoid.
Four years ago, “Dr. Laura” Schlessinger ventured into Television and started a new show based on her popular radio show. I’m not a Dr. Laura listener, but I admire her boldness and moral grounding.
Early on, she began to have advertisers withdraw funding for her show, presumably based on it’s controversial nature. While I, as a Capitalist and Free Republican (one for a Free Republic), respect the right of any company to withdraw funding of anything for any reason, I choose to exercise that same right if I don’t like their reason.
Two of the biggest advertisers to back out of Dr. Laura’s show were Proctor & Gamble and United Airlines. Proctor & Gamble strikes me as a company that needs no explanation as to why one would avoid patronizing them.
I recall United Airlines stating that they withdrew their ads because of Schlessinger’s views on homosexuality. Specifically, I remember their statement, based on their company slogan, saying “we fly the gay friendly skies.
If I were on the Board of Directors at United, I would have merely stated that placing ads on the Dr. Laura Show was just good business, considering that it’s controversial nature would draw a large number of viewers, but that my company remains neutral as to the views expressed on the show. To make the statement they made and to take the action they took only alienated the large portion of the population that has moral, ethical, religious, or even biological differences with the gay lifestyle. Taking a political or social stand on a controversial issue is just bad business practice. You maximize your customer base when you remain apolitical in your company policy.
Because of their actions, I choose not to patronize P&G or United if at all possible. (I did have to fly United in August of 2002 when I travelled to Israel because they got me there for several hundred dollars less than their competitors.)