Ford instructs dealers how to deal with anti-gay boycott
One of Ford's veepees', Al Giombetti, said in a e-mail last week to dealerships that when customers confront them about the manufacturer's advertisements in gay publications, to "listen to every customer, correct any misinformation, and ask them to support Ford." The e-mail is considered an acknowledgment that the struggling automaker has been monitoring the boycott launched back in March by the American Family Association and other conservative Christian groups. The boycott's impact is unknown. Ford Motor Co. donated over $77 million last year, the bulk ($39 million) to educational causes and groups while the rest supporting Asian, blacks, and Hispanics organizations, as well as the gay segment.
Phil Long Ford, a dealership in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where several prominent conservative Christian organizations are based, states it has received about a dozen calls and two dozen e-mails regarding the issue. Says manager Tom White, "The first half-a-dozen calls we got... we said, 'Fine, do what you got to do.' Then we finally started responding back to them, and they came in and [bought] cars or they don't call us anymore."
Related:
Ford shareholders reject proposals to drop protections for LGBT workers
Efforts continue in boycott against Ford for its support of gay market
[Source: GFN]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)
Brian 4:14PM (6/19/2006)
Ok Ford, here is how you deal with this boycott.
Hold a closed fist in front of you.
Extend middle finger.
There you go.
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Elliott 4:24PM (6/19/2006)
"The e-mail is considered an acknowledgment that the struggling automaker has been monitoring the boycott launched back in March by the American Family Association and other conservative Christian groups."
And yet the shareholders were monitoring it sooooo closely, that it was mentioned ZERO times at the annual meeting. It's kind of sad that the dealers need to be told how to respond.
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Elliott 4:28PM (6/19/2006)
One thing I'm really curious of, what brand of cars do the boycotters purchase? I can't immediately think of a brand that I haven't seen advertised in a gay magazine or pride event. Of course if they picked on a company like Toyota, everyone would see the non-existent impact.
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matt 4:42PM (6/19/2006)
Gay people ruined my marriage. Specifically it was two girls holding hands.
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Mark MacLeod 4:44PM (6/19/2006)
Interesting that less than 51% is now considered the "bulk" instead of the "majority" which is more accurate.
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bix 5:06PM (6/19/2006)
Good for FoMoCo... although I have to say regardless, what is AFA boycotting... the Crown Vic... the Freestar... the Explorers (when you think about the demographic of people doing the boycotts prolly... I'm boycotting those cars too... and I'm sure a lot of gay people are too... (lighten up it's a joke)
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Bob 5:11PM (6/19/2006)
Knowing marketing trends, I'd much rather have trendy gays (a stereotype I know) driving my cars than some less than hip (I am being nice) conservatives.
VW's, Audi's and a few other brands have been seen as "gay cars" by a few publications. Those brands are growing. Ford is smart to go after that market.
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Whatever 5:14PM (6/19/2006)
'Far Right'
simple marginalization by the liberal media who supports the militant, far left, anti-Christian GLAAD.
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Edward 5:19PM (6/19/2006)
I'm boycotting anyone who has enough time on their hands to worry about Ford wanting gay people to buy their products.
Now, if Ford starts courting the Dutch, that's a completely different story... ;~)
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CL2 5:42PM (6/19/2006)
The AFA and other such organizations are as bigotted as they come. While I personally don't agree with the gay lifestyle, I am fed up with these organizations, their activities, and their actions. They claim to be non-profit (in many cases) yet they are as political as they come. By the way, don't blog me as left wing because I'm a conservative Republican.
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Ryan 5:48PM (6/19/2006)
" 'Far Right'
simple marginalization by the liberal media who supports the militant, far left, anti-Christian GLAAD."
It's funny my father was an Anti-Christian Atheist and was for sure considered the 'far right' and was proud of it, ditto head, etc. He was part of the 'far right'. The point is you can be anti-christian and be 'far right' at the same time.
When it comes down to it.
Many will claim they hold the truth, but nobody knows who is correct until there dead.
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Richard Warren 5:49PM (6/19/2006)
#1 Can't do that they wouldn't understand, too busy sticking their nose into other peoples family to learn sign language. Hmmm, but if we did it enough maybe they'd think about it. So here goes.
Hold a closed fist in front of you.
Extend middle finger.
Yep! Might work.
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gbh 5:49PM (6/19/2006)
One of the things that I've always found curious about neo-cons is that they are so interested in everybody else's business.
In most of my circles, conservatives are much more interested in privacy.
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Gardiner Westbound 5:56PM (6/19/2006)
The boycott must be hurting Ford.
It should stick to designing and producing cars and stay out of morality and politics.
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Lonny Paul 6:03PM (6/19/2006)
People in this country tend to lean towards the "scary side." Think about it, most individuals who fall into the "gay" classificiaton I know tend to be more patriotic than most - they are willing to serve their country, under a rule of secrecy and fear of reaction - they spend lots of money, since they have no kids, and if they spent it on a Japanese car, you'd say that gays were Anti-American.
Grow up.
If there are six piles of money, and you have to tailor your ad a little bit towards getting all six piles, then do what you have to do. It's called targeted marketing. It's smart. And we like dedicated ads for our genre. It makes us special. lol
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Ryan 6:04PM (6/19/2006)
"10. The boycott must be hurting Ford."
It's a classic case of kicking them while they are down, ya know they way Jesus would have intended. :-)
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Rob Lowe 6:17PM (6/19/2006)
The Delusional Right; why don't they go back to what they do best, sitting under a rock and waiting for the apocolypse. On the other hand, should we be boycotting Toyota for Japan's and Nokia for Norway's aggressive tactics in trying to overturn the IWA's safeguards to protect the whales? Maybe yes maybe no.
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laserwizard 6:22PM (6/19/2006)
What a bunch of whining nellies that AFA is. Who cares where Ford chooses to advertise? I am sure that Ford advertises in pro-Christian publications even when those Christians are abusing their daughters, cheating on their wives, and eating pork. I don't know where these groups get off telling anyone else how to live their lives when they seem to have enough sin in their hearts to make God wonder whose team they are on.
Go, Ford.
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laserwizard 6:28PM (6/19/2006)
National Coalition of Whiners
1-800 Cry Me a River Boulevard
I'm ate Up, Ar-can-saw
Dearest Ford,
We are joining the AFA in protesting your advertising in Gay themed magazines. We find it queer that you would choose to support a lifestyle that is so sexually filled when those of us Viagra takers are so longing to have Sally Mae (she sits two pews over). And I want to let you know that those of us joining the AFA are just so proud of our spouse abuse, child whooping lives that we cannot stand that you'd advertise in a magazine that would show two men kissing or holding hands.
I know you must be feeling the sting of not being able to sell six Crown Victorias (she was our model of purity and chastity) that you'd normally sell. And while you cater to Brucie and Blake, understand that Barney and Betty will beat feet over to the Bow Tie people because Pastor Wilbert tells us to.
Signed,
Ralph "Buckie" Rumpelstilskin
President, or something like it
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naggs 6:31PM (6/19/2006)
hey douschbags. if someone says 'radical right' and you dont consider yourself radical but you do consider yourself towards the right, THEY ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU!
for example when i say that radical christian conservatives are destroying the country by intetionally erroding the seperation of church and state i am only commenting on that one group. NOT radicals, christians, and conservatives. to get angry at my statement you have to define yourself as the thing i am criticizing.
is there anyone that actually thinks of themselves as a radical christian conservative? i think you would be hard pressed to find someone who actually applies that label to themselves. labels are a pretty stupid thing to try to convince people of something but its even more dumb to get angry at a label that does not describe you.
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