Filed under: Trends
Ford publicly commits to inclusion
In a statement released yesterday after the company met with the leadership of several national gay and lesbian
organizations in Washington D.C., Ford made its commitment to inclusion clear stating, "We value all people -
regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural or physical differences." The meeting and
subsequent statement are in response to media frenzy surrounding Ford's decision to pull Jaguar and Land Rover
advertising money from gay publications immediately following a meeting with a conservative group called the American
Family Association.
Word is that the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay civil rights lobbying group,
along with other gay and lesbian leadership,
demanded Ford repudiate its
ties with the AFA and reinstate its advertising of Jaguar and Land Rover. Ford supposedly responded by asking for 24-48
hours to get back to them with an answer. Ford makes no mention of this arrangement in its statement and officially is
standing by its business decision to pull advertising of Jaguar and Land Rover from these publications. Furthermore
Ford has not denounced its ties with the AFA, but rather stated in its release "Ford Motor Company is always willing to
engage in constructive conversation with those interested in our policies, even with those who don't always agree with
them."
We'll see what happens on Wednesday when Ford is rumored to have a response ready for the gay and lesbian leadership
it met with yesterday. If the Blue Oval doesn't budge the gay community may respond with protests, boycotts and even
t-shirts, the same tactics threatened by the AFA that reportedly led to this PR fiasco in the first place.
[Source: Ford and AMERICAblog]
Related posts:
Ford Motors reaches compromise with AFA
Ford pulls advertising after AFA objects
Ford addresses diversity and advertising
Ford watches Wells Fargo walk the walk
Ford agrees to meet with leading gay groups
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
number six 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Silence and non-committal behavior (along with not advertising in places which could "upset" factions of ever more divided humanity) which will then allow everyone freedom to choose their company, or not, according to the products would have served Ford, the workers, the stock holders and the Ford dealers far better than this litany of stupidity and errors.
A lesson for other companies, not just car companies.
Would Ford advertise in say a strictly Lutheran or perhaps a Jewish magazine? No?
Then why did it even consider advertising in strictly homosexual magazines, for example?
Would it advertise in magazines intended for polygamists, if there were such? How about drug addicts, or XXX porn magazines? No?
The intelligent out there surely get my point here. Too bad Ford's highly trained executive corps couldn't think of it earlier. Perhaps I should become an automotive consultant and get 1/2 million a year, eh? Well, I've got common sense - it seems to be totally lacking in Detroit. Perhaps it's the water.
Business should be inclusive of the general public without pandering to specific groups.
Ford is now in a total quagmire.
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Elliott 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
"Would Ford advertise in say a strictly Lutheran or perhaps a Jewish magazine? No?"
Ford would advertise in a magazine for the Latino community and the have ads in "Black Enterprise" and I'm sure someone can name other magazines that are for various subcultures. Personally I'm sick of seeing your comments on the AFA posts. Let someone with a fresh or intelligent comment have a say.
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Matt 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Ford advertises in a local jewish paper where I live. I just dont understand why youre comparing homosexuality to porn and drugs. Actually, I think I know exactly why you made that comparison.
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FatCat 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
numbersix originally compared homosexuality to beasitality and the Man Boy Love Association. I would say porn and drugs are a step up, but still woefully ignorant and insulting.
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AMERICAN MUSCLE 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Is this the offical GAY auto blog?
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FatCat 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
numbersix originally compared homosexuality to beasitality and the Man Boy Love Association. I would say porn and drugs are a step up, but still woefully ignorant and insulting.
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emulous 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I fail to see why Ford meet with the AFA and now with the Gay Civil Rights Groups. If they are trully a business, they should make their advertising and support on their own, plain and simple. Allowing outside groups that are not shareholders to do this to your company shows the world that you have no idea how to run your business and does not speak well of the leadership of the company. The only thing I've heard positive out of Ford lately is that the SVT group will not go away.
I was always proud of Ford for their advertising in gay/lesbian media as well as their support of the community, more for their own employees than my self.
As for Ford not advertising to other groups that you want to compare to gay/lesbians, it is belived that the gay community has 610 billion dollars of year power to buy products, for such a small group, with so much money, why wouldn't Ford spend what equaled to 1% of their advertising budget to advertise and make employees and customers feel welcomed and appreciated?
If the gay groups are threating Ford with a boycott, that is what I believe stupid and dropping to the level of AFA, although not for the same reasons. The gay groups should be willing to work with Ford and offer to show them ways to support their community to better serve it's customers. Threats of boycotts are not what is needed here. What is needed are groups and businesses to stand on their own and stop trying to attack eachother and develop and support a Country that gives freedom to all and learns that you only control your own morals and should stop worrying about what others do when it does not infringe on your rights.
It should be interesting to see what Ford has to say and what AFA will respond with.
If they are going to threaten to boycott, which is their right and which I do believe is a proper response to some things companies do, then the groups that protest, should all drive their Ford Vehicles to Michigan and show Ford what they will actually be losing.
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FatCat 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
numbersix originally compared homosexuality to beasitality and the Man Boy Love Association. I would say porn and drugs are a step up, but still woefully ignorant and insulting.
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number six 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Well, perhaps my point of advertising only in general interest publications or contexts or TV networks is too simple of a concept for your complex minds to comprehend.
As for your comments, Matt and Elliott, I'm sure you'd love to shut-up perspectives-not-your-own - that's the essence of fascism-thinkly-disguised as anti-Christ and anti-Semitic secularism, isn't it? Essentially, we Christians already know that this culture wants us to shut-up. The Romans wanted Christians to shut-up 1800 years ago, too, and Christians had to live in the catacombs under the outskirts of Rome in order to stay alivem were fed to lions as "entertainment" if caught (much "better" than reality TV eh?).
We aren't going to shut up until you put us in the gas chambers or ovens as people just like you did to the jews in 1939-1945. We're expecting that, too. It's already happening all over the world, but you're too blind to see.
Wait until we're gone or in hiding and you live under the rule of the islamo-fascists and then you'll find out who your REAL enemies are.
Ironically, from our perspective, the global secularist fascists wanting to get rid of Christ, Christianity and Judaism have the same "devilish" boss as the islamo-fascists. No worries about a divided house working against itself in his camp; he doesn't care how you die, so long as you join him in hell.
But of course you don't believe any of it, and that's not our responsibility. We're told to be like a voice crying in the wilderness. We weren't given guarantees that the majority would listen - it has ever been so since the fall of humanity into sin. The majority of humanity is dumber than a stump, and in fact, it is only the grace of God which opens Christian eyes to THE truth.
But the "prevailing world view" is that there is not just one truth, but many, and you can do as you please and get to "paradise".
OK, a test. How many of you going from Nashville, Tennesee to Barstow, California can go northeast to Halifax, Nova Scotia and be where you wanted to be - Barstow, California?
How about maybe trying Highway 24 and going to 75 on down to Ft Myers, Florida? Will you then be in California? NO?
Maybe try Highway 65 North to Gary, Indiana. Are you then in California? No. Obviously not. It's probably freezing cold right now.
So, how many roads to you suppose there are to heaven, if you suppose even that there is one and that a soul survives death?
Interesting that secularist fascists compare themselves to animals - stating that they "evolved" out of "ooze" and monkey like creatures. Of course having sex with the same gender, or with the opposite gender without permanent committment, or with animals, or having this trisexuality or whatever it is called where people screw in groups of bisexuals, is something that even animals don't do. Of course animals also don't sin with gossip, slander, lying, war, giving false testimony against others, extortion, or lies, all of which are also harmful to others and self.
It's also interesting that supposedly "simple" cultures all over the world - in fact, every human culture ever found, learned about or studied, somehow "knew" that there was a soul, and some kind of god. Animals never worship, people always do - of course secularists worship secularism, and don't know it. Whatever you hold as your highest good? That is what you worship, whether it be homosexuality, or anti-Semitic islamofascism.
Yet a few "moderns" would deny this and demand that the worldview of everyone else match theirs, OR ELSE they'll sic the culture-police against those us who disagree, or blow you up with suicide bombers if you disagree. Why should your minority world-view dominate? Who made you "god"? Fascists!
So I stand by my statements that smarter companies will advertise in general ways, not specific to situations which could be construed by sub-cultures within the general culture, to be offensive.
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emulous 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
If companies only advertised in mainstream magazines and only saw mainstream folks as their audience, then we wouldn't have some of the wonderfull cars that we have today.
Advertising to multiple different types of people allows a company to see and hear that in fact there are different people out there with different wants and desires.
I see a lot of contradictions in what you say, and by only recognizing one audience for your products or even your politics, you will allow the same thing to happen to other groups that has happened to both jews and chrisitians. If you continue to look through that history, Christians have repeadetly done what has been done to them and can not hold their heads up high for everything that has been done under their name, just as all homosexuals can not hold their heads up high for what others have done and they are blamed for.
What you are asking for is world domination by Christianity, 20-30 years ago you would of not included jews or muslims in your statements.
Denying the exisitence of different cultures and segments of the population is probably the biggest thing that lead to the devistation that the American Auto Industry has found itself in. If they would trully compete on a global level they would be producing better vehicles, run a much more efficient business and wouldn't be asking for federal handouts to save them from their mistakes so that they can make the same ones over and over. The same things that are bad for business are bad for politics.
What the AFA and I think people like yourself wants is a society run like NAZI Germany, just under a Christian name. Call it what you want but homosexuals are not trying to stop you from becoming or practicing Christianity, all they are asking is you don't force your religion on everyone else. That protects your rights and freedoms as much as it protects their owns.
Your rights end where mine begin. Stop trying to take my rights.
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Matt 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Im jewish and very religous you dumbass. The reason I know that ford advertises in a local jewish newspaper is because i get that paper. Im not gay, also not closed minded. Youre the one getting upset that people dont agree with you.
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Pinkerton 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
number six, you will never change the world by posting long messages to Autoblog.
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DT 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
guys i think its time to take number six off the comments. let's moderate.
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Elliott 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Mr Six, I in know way meant to silence you. I just think you have made your opinion known through the 20 or so comments you have left on the 3 or 4 post on this same topic. Maybe it is time you start your own blog?
Was I just compared to a Nazi? The wife isn't going to like this...
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Corey W. 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Ford should have never backed down to the AFA. The company should have stood it's ground and reinforced it's commitment to diversity. When they pulled the ads they basically said, we only acknowledge certain people.
Also, this makes you think about the "real" values of organization like the AFA.
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KG 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
OK - While number six is entitled to whatever point of view they want, this person is downright scary. Even scarier is the fact that they are not alone.
Any company has a right (and I would argue a business case) to advertise in venues that their customers and potential customers will see the ads. Ford has done that, and any customer or group who disagrees with another customer base needs the thank their lucky stars that they live in a free country where those disagreements are legally allowed to take place.
Number six - there is no one "right" point of view. There are many different views and all are right to the view holder.
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Peter W. 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Um, lemme get this straight (or gay as the terms may be).
In order to prove that they are not "totally aligned with a hate group"... Ford has to put ads for Jaguar and Land Rover back into gay publications? I call shenanigans!
I never really bought into the whole "Ford sat down and talked with AFA and agreed to pull some ads over it? Then they called it a business decision? ZOMG! THEY ARE LIARS ALIGNED WITH AN EVIL HATE GROUP AND WE ALL MUST BE AVENGED!" position.
If Ford were aligned with the AFA and all their beleifs, they wouldn't continue to give partner benefits and such. I think that some members of the gay community was using their "Jump To Conclusions" mat.
I think what's gonna happen is Ford's just gonna say "We couldn't really afford those ads anymore. We thought we would kill two birds with one stone and see if we could get the AFA to end their boycott by letting them know we were cutting the ads." Better yet, they could say "Okay, we'll put the ads back in with discount-codes. But if we don't redeem x-number of Range Rovers and Jaguar discounts then we'll pull them again because they weren't cost effective and ya'll don't read gay-only publications"
It was a PR Faux Paux. Ironically it's becoming a divisive issue in the gay community, because some homosexuals dare to question their need to sell a car they like because of something that only partially factored into their original purchase decision in the first place.
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patrick 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I see no problem with targeting a specific demographic with large disposable income, I also don't see a problem with targeting sub groups, whether it be gays, african americans (in say ebony, or on BET), or women (so ford shouldn't put an ad in ladies home journal?)
no. six, you sound like you belong to one of those extreme right wing "christian" groups, who only follow the parts of the new testament that they want to, and don't realize they aren't following the true message of Christ. it all boils down to the two commandments He gave us- to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself. that means respecting your neighbor and caring about their well being even if they're black/brown/yellow/white/gay/straight/Islam/Buddhist,
etc, etc....and as far as attacking Islam, like you did, I find that funny, because the God of Mohammed is the God of Abraham, the same God of Judaism and Christianity.
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Nathan Jones 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I'm still a bit confused about the meeting yesterday....so I don't know what to make of it....or if my opinion has changed at all.
It bothers me the HRC went in and demanded to know if a "secret agreement" had been entered into between Ford and the AFA, when Ford's own spokesman already said they did....so how is it a "secret"?
I can't find any details about it...so I'm not exactly sure what Ford is supposed to say when they release their statement by Wednesday....
I don't even care about the print adds...I do find it interesting to know that those who argue Ford was simply attempting to reduce cost by pulling these adds, don't ever point out that those adds made up LESS then 1% of Ford's marketing budget.
I simply wanna hear....."We renounce our agreement with the AFA" and we will continue to support the LGBT community and not simply our GLBT employees."
If that happens, I'm first in line for the 07 Sport Trac.
NJ
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borkatt 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I take umbrage with some of the comments here especially regarding numbersix. The fact that some of you want to censor him is short-sighted. This guy made me blow snot out my nose when I read his post. I love it. Good, good fun for all. Keep him alive and numbersix if you have a blog, please do tell us about it.
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