Target apologizes (for what it's worth)

[dreamshark]

I'm sure I'm not the first to post a followup to last week's big kerfuffle, but nobody on my FL has done it yet, so here it is:

Target Apologizes for funding Tom Emmer ad

You can take any moral from this that you like. Here's a few to choose from:

1. Hey, the boycott worked! (I can shop at Target again!)
2. Big deal. They think they can just do whatever they want and if they apologize afterwards they get away with it. (I'm never shopping at Target again, the bums!)
3. Maybe the next time a big corporation is tempted to take advantage of their new political status as "persons" they'll think twice about using their "free speech" power for evil.
4. Maybe the next time a big corporation is tempted to take advantage of their new political status as "persons" they'll think twice about what it might do to their carefully cultivated brand image.

I'm picking #4 myself and calling it a victory. I can't say I had much to do with it. I didn't buy anything at Target in the past month, but I hadn't actually planned to anyway (it's not someplace I shop at every week). Now... how come nobody's boycotting Best Buy?  They haven't apologized yet.

Comments

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Sooo.... When's he going to ask for the money back?

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you're inclined towards #2. ;-)

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Yeah, "I'm sorry" is easy, but I'm thinking they're sorry that the got "caught", so I'm going the boycott route. However I think I should work up the courage to go to the Target near me, ask for the manager, and explain why I won't be shopping there.

I also like the idea that someone mentioned last week on one of the Mid-Morning (IIRC) broadcasts on MPR- that if a corporation, union or group gives money to a PAC that supports a "grievous" candidate then they have to deal with being part of the political debate.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

"I also like the idea that someone mentioned last week on one of the Mid-Morning (IIRC) broadcasts on MPR- that if a corporation, union or group gives money to a PAC that supports a "grievous" candidate then they have to deal with being part of the political debate. "

Yup. And that's exactly what happened.

[tagwn.livejournal.com]

I've been boycotting Best Buy for years, due to their bait and switch tactics. Don't like 'em, and don't like Target, either, nor Macy's. Their employees are not treated at all well.
Oh well.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I think I'll go with #s 1+4. I don't shop at Target often, but they have some things I can't easily get elsewhere - or my best option is Walmart - and they do give a lot to the community so I can forgive them for the major blunder once they've apologized for it.

And I think this has shown them that any involvements with political causes are likely to include blow-back from their customer base.

[jiawen]

I'm mostly in category two. Promising to form a committee doesn't constitute a meaningful apology, in my book; instead, it looks like an attempt to bury the mistake and hope people just forget about it.

[thorintatge.livejournal.com]

"While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry," Steinhafel said.

To me, that's only one part of an apology--an acknowledgement of hurt feelings. It suggests that maybe Target was wrong not to consider potential political fallout, but not that the donation was wrong in the first place.

[mplspunky.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I'm torn. It's a staple place for my shopping, but I am REALLY not happy with them. As it, I'm truly pissed. I skipped a trip I would have taken there this month and went to Walgreen's instead.

Not sure what it's going to take for me to go back to Target. But I'm not there yet.