![]() “In Rio de Janeiro, the displacement of the poor and the pollution and the use of funds to build sporting facilities when there was poverty caused people to want sponsors to protest or boycott,” he said. “Are sponsors using Olympic imagery worldwide? And are they using it as aggressively as they have in the past? And I think the short answer is no, they’re not,” Burton told Al Jazeera, citing a host of reasons ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the fact that the Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics ended just six months ago.īurton said that despite the controversy surrounding the Winter Olympics, brands likely knew what they were signing up for from the start. Many official sponsors appear to be running “bifurcated campaigns” that see them running one campaign in China around the Olympics and different campaigns elsewhere, according to Rick Burton, who served as chief marketing officer for the US Olympic Committee at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Multinational corporations’ tepid association with the Games highlights the awkward position that firms can face when dabbling in social justice issues – a trend dubbed “woke capitalism” – whose appeal to consumers varies widely by geography. Sponsors of the Winter Olympic Games such as Airbnb have taken a vocal stance on social justice issues in the United States The social media accounts of sponsors such as Snickers and Bridgestone, the Japanese auto parts company, have chosen to highlight the Super Bowl over the Olympics, while Black History Month ranks higher on the Instagram account of US multinational Procter and Gamble. Missing from Airbnb’s website, Twitter or Instagram is any mention of the company’s official sponsorship of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which have been underway since Friday.Īirbnb is not the only official Olympics sponsor that appears to be downplaying its role at the Winter games – at least in English – following a diplomatic boycott by countries including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania over human rights abuses against ethnic minority Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region and pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong. The top feature on its English-language news page is an article, dated February 2, about an Airbnb rental in Los Angeles hosted by American actress Issa Rae, who is known for speaking out against racial injustice and inequality. The short-term rental giant has donated to Black Lives Matter, provided housing to Afghan refugees, and boasts top marks on a corporate equality index as an inclusive employer. The Facebook page currently stands at 33,200 members.Taipei, Taiwan – Airbnb’s “community” section reads like a who’s who of progressive causes in the United States. The Boycott Whole Foods Facebook page launched on August 13th, just a day after John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods had controversial remarks appear in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece. In time, Whole Foods can and probably will recover, but social media sites clearly have delivered a big punch. Whole Foods depends on the good will of its customers and the social media uproar indicates it has taken a hit. Mackey's comments and the social media aftermath is a lesson that all retailers must pay attention to the power of social media and what is being said about their brand. Mackey's controversial statements have spread like wildfire throughout popular social media Web Sites including Facebook and Twitter as well as across major media outlets in a span of just a few short weeks. While 33,200 may not appear to be a lot of protesters compared to the millions that shop at Whole Foods, the backlash the retailer now faces in a media hurricane (social and otherwise) of Mackey's own making and it is highly likely that the brand's reputation has been tarnished in the short-term. Nevertheless, the current group is a sizeable chunk compared to the Do Not Boycott Whole Foods which stands at 4,300 members. ![]() After shooting up to 33,200 members in just three weeks, Boycott Whole Foods on Facebook has only picked up 1,000 members in the past week and is beginning to trail off. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |