Back when I was in college, I worked for a large corporate bookstore chain. One of the first things I was told after I was hired was that employees were not allowed to get political — with customers or each other. This was back during the George W. Bush days, and I was grateful for that policy because most of my co-workers were extremely liberal, and I really liked most of them, so I didn't want that to become an issue.
It did come up occasionally. I bit my tongue when one of the managers posted "Yee-haw is not a foreign policy" on her desk. I bit my tongue when a European customer came in to buy a Hillary Clinton book and told me what idiots we were for electing the president we had. And I bit my tongue when a co-worker whom I didn't really care for put a little John Kerry sticker on her locker right next to mine.
That was the extent of it — there was never anything that I wasn't able to overlook. Of course, these days, big companies and chain stores aren't hesitant to make political statements, and even though I think it's still largely a dumb idea, I guess they can afford to (Chris Rock does a great NSFW bit on that).
But I have to wonder why a small or growing business would do the same. I've had two incidents lately that have left me scratching my head.
A few years ago, I was looking for a specific type of bed sheet, and I happened to see an ad online for a small company that sold them. They didn't have much of a presence, but I took a risk, made the purchase, and I liked the product. This company became my go-to for bedding after that. But last week, I received an email that made me wonder if I will shop with it going forward.
Essentially, the company announced it was having a "tariff sale" in the days leading up to the now-delayed tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The email, which I received on January 24 with the subject line "Hard Times Ahead," read:
With upcoming tariff changes expected to raise costs across the country, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to launch our 30% OFF Tariff Takedown Sale.
Over the past few months, my team and I have made every effort to hold prices steady, but with new trade policies set to increase sourcing and production costs, we wanted to give you this opportunity to shop at today’s lower prices while we can still offer them. This sale is our way of saying thank you for being part of our community and trusting us with your needs. We’re committed to keeping our quality high and ensuring you get the best value possible.
It was early in the morning when I read this, so I had to do a double take. Is this company really trying to scare me into buying more sheets? Is this some thinly veiled anti-Trump statement? All of the above? I thought maybe I was reading too much into it, so I sought several opinions, including those of some of our writers and editors here, and everyone agreed that this was not just a sale advertisement; it was a political statement. I'm not one to boycott a company that I like over politics, but when you use your political beliefs for bullying and fear mongering customers into making a purchase, that's pretty much the end of our relationship.
The other incident came from a much smaller business, one that operates out of someone's home. I discovered it on social media a couple of years ago, tried its skin care products, and became a fan. They were a little pricey, sure, but I felt good about supporting someone's goals and dreams.
I don't want to give away too much, but the owner of this business falls somewhere within the LGBTetc. umbrella (somewhere in the etc. part, I think). I follow them on social media, and there wasn't huge emphasis on that aspect of their life — I actually enjoyed their content and the fact that they weren't throwing that in my face constantly — but on January 20 of this year, something changed. It was subtle and often vague, but it was there. Reminders of how dark the world is suddenly. Announcements that the business is for everyone, even if everything else is not. Talk of suddenly being wary of leaving their home.
I'm sorry, but please show me over the course of the last three weeks where someone did something to you that changed anything about your life. Oh, you have to pick a gender on your passport now? You have to play in sports leagues for your biological sex? Cry me a river.
I don't want to give away any other details about this small business. I do still wish them the best — even though they may be on the verge of self-sabotage — but unfortunately, I will think twice before shopping there. Again, I'm tired of being bullied or made to feel guilty for my own political beliefs. It's tiresome.
If you're establishing a business, and it's growing, why would you ruin that by potentially alienating half of your customer base? You shouldn't see red and blue; you should only see green.
The Harvard Business Review said in 2020:
There was a time when companies, big and small, shied away from politics. The prevailing wisdom was that endorsing a cause was bad business. Better to stay away from advocacy, focus on sales, steer clear of sentiments, and avoid offending one side or the other. When businesses contributed to political campaigns, they often contributed equally across parties. Hedging political bets was the order of the day. Things have changed.
Boy have they. I guess this is truly a sign of the times, but I wouldn't mind going back to the days when most companies of all sizes focused on selling products and services rather than promoting an agenda or virtue-signaling. I wouldn't mind even going back to just about two decades ago when a lowly teenage retail employees like myself was given strict instructions to keep my mouth shut. (Though, thinking back, on my last day of work there, I did rip that woman's John Kerry sticker straight off her locker on my way out the door, so maybe all of this was inevitable.)
What say you? Have you encountered anything like this lately? What was your response or what would your response be if you encountered something like this?
