They’re Not Listening…

There’s a grand tradition in this country which is known as “voting with your feet” – or sometimes “voting with your wallet.” The basic idea is that if a company is doing something that offends you, they probably have a competitor who won’t – and if they don’t have a competitor you could always start one. Thus, if (for example) a firm is doing something that offends your moral, ethical, dietary, nutritional, political, comedic or religious requirements, you can always choose to take your business to some other firm in the same industry that does not so offend you. And, if you like, you can tell all of the like-minded people in the country about your choice, and encourage them to do the same. In theory, this should persuade the company that is offending you to change their ways, since they will not want to give your business (and that of all of the like-minded people) to their competition. Failing that, you will at least have the satisfaction of giving your business to a firm that is more in line with your belief system, whatever that might be…

Where this becomes a problem is when extremist groups start using the tradition to impose their views on everyone else. Take, for example, the American Family Association’s ongoing feud with the Gap (and any other retailer that doesn’t wish to offend all of their non-Christian customers) over the company’s “refusal” to feature the word “Christmas” in its holiday advertising materials. Leaving aside for the moment the inherent issues with advertising specifically intended to promote gross commercialization of a religious holiday and the fact that our system of government was designed to provide religious freedom (separation of Church and State) specifically BECAUSE of religious persecution in Europe, the calls for boycotts of the Gap over a supposed refusal to include the word “Christmas” in their advertising are completely asinine for a much more basic reason. You see, the current year’s ads DO include the word “Christmas” – rather prominently…

As noted by The Los Angeles Times this week, the current Gap ads advocate purchasing the company’s products for Christmas gifts – and also Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Solstice/Yule presents, for that matter. One has to wonder if the American Family Association was unaware of the ads when they issued their annual boycott, or if they’re just not bothering to actually listen to any of the advertising before they start spewing this sort of nonsense. A much more disturbing issue here is what we, as businesspeople, as supposed to do about this sort of lunacy. Leaving aside for the moment the obvious impossibility of trying to conform to the requirements of the literally thousands of competing religions groups in the world, should we even concern ourselves about what a small group of fruitcakes from one specific group want us to do and say?

In the long run, I suppose, it comes down to a matter of servicing the customer. If the majority of your customers belong to a religious sect that will only do business in a room with a blue floor, investing in blue carpeting for your retail stores would probably not do any harm. And if a major demographic group in your customer base wants you to wish them a Merry Christmas every year, you certainly could. But if someone if going to release official pronouncements condemning your company for advertising practices that you’re not even actually doing, your best bet is probably just not to listen to them. After all, they’re clearly not listening to you…