Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Lauren's Tuesday Rant!!!

Really Stupid Ways To Shoot Yourself In The Foot. . . . . A lesson in how NOT to market your product. . . .

This is part of an article in today's Detroit News. . . It will give you the gist of the issue. . .. .


Gay and lesbian advocacy groups sharply criticized Ford Motor Co. for agreeing to stop advertising in gay-themed publications in the face of a boycott by the conservative American Family Association.

The AFA, based in Tupelo, Miss., launched a boycott of Ford in May to protest marketing aimed at gay and lesbian consumers as well as benefits the company extends to same-sex couples. The boycott was suspended for six months in June when Ford and dealer representatives met with the group. With the boycott set to resume last week, Ford dispatched two top company officers -- Ziad Ojakli, group vice president for corporate affairs, and David Leitch, senior vice president and general counsel, and a top dealer to Tupelo to meet withAFA officials last Tuesday.

Ford told the AFA that its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands have not advertised in gay and lesbian publications and will not in the future, said Ford spokesman Mike Moran. Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover brands will no longer target gay consumers through advertising, a move Moran called a "business decision."

Only Volvo, Ford's Sweden-based brand, will continue marketing directly to gays and lesbians. After the meeting, AFA, which has 3 million members, agreed to lift the boycott. That has led some gay and lesbian organizations to say the automaker caved in to pressure from the religious right. . . . .


Me again. . . .

Let's see if I have this right. . . Ford caves to a group of Christian zealots (The American Family Association), numbering less than 3 million members and in the process stands to lose buyers from the GLBT community, which (estimates vary widely here) numbers as many as 26 million in the US alone.

Ford currently commands about 18% of the US market. That said, 18% of the 2.8 million AFA members would be 504,000 "potential" sales, versus 18% of the 26 million estimated GLBT buyers, or 4.68 million "potential" sales. . . . What's wrong with THIS picture?????

No wonder another 4000 Ford white collar workers are being cut after the first of the year (based on press releases from Ford). . . GEE another 4000 or more potential sales lost. . . . can you say "snowball effect?????"

YEP!!! I'd say it's time to send a message to Mr. Ford. . . "Not only does your football team SUCK!!!, so does your ability to read your market potential. . ."

I also have a message for the AFA. . . . GO POUND SAND YOU BIGOTED ASSHOLES!!!!!

End of rant!!!

HUGGSS!!
Posted by Lauren :: 9:00 PM :: 8 comments

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