CATALOGUE
saying they will never buy from you again because of your stance on what you think – nay, what you believe – that all your customers should support.
As you see it, if they are your customers, then they want to live your company’s lifestyle, which includes taking a stand against double-stuffed Oreos. If they don’t understand that, then you turn up the volume because there is obviously a communications problem.
And suddenly you find yourself struggling to retain customers. Worse, you find that your company is the subject of a boycott. Tink I’m over-reacting? A spice catalogue in Wisconsin (Penzeys), that took a very vocal anti-Trump stance from 2016 to 2019, spawned a Facebook page (Goodbye Penzeys) supported by customers that are boycotting the company (although it has not been updated since March). Interestingly, the Penzeys website today has NO mention of any political messages.
Tere are examples of companies on both the left and the right where this has occurred – neither side has a monopoly on virtuousness.
We live in a contentious time and it will only get worse. You may feel it is your personal responsibility to speak up and speak out, to let the world know where your company stands. But do your customers care? Probably not. Certainly not enough to incrementally increase their spending with you because they support your cause as well. Oh sure, they may place extra one order to show
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their “solidarity” with your brand and “the cause”. But how many “My Pillows” do you really need?
All you are likely to do is piss off a bunch of customers who were happy to buy your products before you decided to insult them by taking a stand on an issue that has nothing to do with the products you sell.
In my opinion, your job is to sell stuff. Don’t do anything to jeopardise that. Don’t be tempted to offer even the slightest messaging that could negatively position your company. Remember, those that are egging you on, telling you how important it is to take a stand, have no skin in the game regarding your company’s financial future. Tey don’t care what happens to you down the road.
If you want to take a stance, do it apart from your company. If you want to be passionate about a cause and give it tons of support, fine – but on your own time. Or, if you want to show that your company has a charitable side, support some benign cause like the Red Cross, or Te American Cancer Society.
Finally, here is my best advice – give that support below the radar. If you know anything about fundraising, you know that those who give the most are usually those who seek the least recognition.
Remember, it’s just a catalogue. Companies use them to sell stuff. It’s not a vehicle to solve the world’s problems. Your customers are not looking for life lessons from you – they just need some new socks.
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