Should We Keep Our Gosh-Darned Mouths Shut?
I am not here to add to the noise about Chick-Fil-A. It’s been discussed ad nauseum by smart (and not so smart) folks for a week+ now.
But I do have a question:
We all like to talk about humanizing brands, about the need for genuine engagement, etc. But should those of us who need to make a living by selling products or services consider keeping our opinions to ourselves in public forums?
I heard Howard Stern rant about Chick-Fil-A’s CEO (and I am paraphrasing, but not much): “Why is this man saying anything that doesn’t sell more chicken? Why would he bother pissing off half the country that supports gay marriage? He can be as religious as he wants in private; he can do whatever he pleases with his take-home pay, including donate to far-right groups … but why is this man talking about anything other than ‘delicious chicken sandwiches’ in public?”
I struggle with this, as well. Those of you who monitor my Facebook posts and “likes” would quickly see that I am an avowed progressive Democrat and Obama supporter. On more than one occasion, my wise bride (among others) wondered if this is a smart move. She echoes Stern’s admonition, to just shut the hell up in public.
It would mean I am less engaged. It would mean you’d know less about me. It would mean I was less candid. But it would also present a neutral (some might say neutered) political stance that could not hurt my business. After all, if nothing else I have a fiduciary responsibility to my staff and creditors to do my level best to grow the business.
So I see the wisdom of shutting up. Yet I find it hard to muzzle myself.
What would you recommend, either to me, or to Chick-Fil-A, or any other brand?
Posted on: August 3, 2012 at 1:03 pm By Todd Defren
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they should mind their own business.
What I do is un-friend that person or just let it pass, spending your energy on those kind would ruin your day, lol.
I agree with those who opine to keep one’s personal opinions personal and separate from business.
There’s nothing wrong with being one’s authentic self, but that doesn’t mean you should be all parts of your authentic self in all settings….and some aren’t as well suited as others. It might be my authentic self to use salty language, but I can assure you I know it’s not appropriate at work and I refrain.
I agree with HS – CEO’s public comments should be about chicken and topics that won’t alienate the progress/growth/success of his business. Anything else, to me, seems foolhardy.
Thank you for bringing this up. It is a conversation my wife and I had about this very topic. Shouldn’t the owner just be trying to sell more chicken and not his political/religious views? I think yes.
I also teach Digital and Social media marketing and I tell all students that there are certain things not to discuss in social — politics and religion being the biggest.
But, as one student asked, and you pointed out, how can I be genuine if I can’t participate in discussions on topics that I believe in? And, it’s a question I don’t have the answer to.
Shouldn’t we be able to be our authentic self? Shouldn’t we be able to take an unpopular opinion? I don’t know. I only know that there are certain things I keep to myself. It may be less authentic, but I honestly believe it is safer.
Thanks for the article and the discussion!
Craig
I struggle with this as well, Todd, as I have the same tendency on Facebook to talk politics (we’re in the same political camp – although I may lean even further left, if that’s possible). It may be sadder that we even have to consider whether talking about our beliefs is dangerous or wise. Shouldn’t we all be talking more about politics, religion and culture? Aren’t those supposed to be the important things to discuss?
I, for one, am delighted that the CEO of Chick-Fil-A decided to stuff his mouth with his feet rather than his reportedly delicious chicken sandwiches. We need to know more, not less, about where people like him stand on the human rights issues of the day.
Far too many corporations whose owners espouse villainous opinions use corporate profits to privately push their narrow-minded and bigoted agendas. Consumers armed with the knowledge that their purchases are helping to promote ideas with which they profoundly disagree can then decide to take their patronage elsewhere.
The same holds true of the other side of the fence. I want to know that the money I spend is delivering value not just for me but also for the employees and suppliers of the company and, through the broader social actions of the company’s leaders and owners, for the kind of socially progressive, equal and just society in which I want to live.
By shutting up you may avoid a negative (lose customers who disagree with you).
But you may also miss a positive (meet and activate new customers who share your values on the topic at hand).
So true..I fully agree with you!
Todd, you have more liberty as a business owner to be more forthcoming with your personal beliefs. Thank goodness, it works for you. I’ve also found it hard to keep political feelings to myself, but have found balance. There is a time and a place to reveal your feelings. Mr. Cathy decided to go public with his. I think it was a dumb move, but I guess he doesn’t care about the market he’s losing.
As for you, Todd, keep talking. I enjoy hearing your opinions!
Generally, yes. Even I shut the hell up a lot more than I used to… And that includes politics, too. But sometimes you have to say what you have to say. Having the wisdom to know when is the issue.
I am careful about what I post on my PERSONAL social media accounts because I truly am not a narrow-minded individual and I believe in respecting views that oppose mine. We don’t all have to agree to be able to get along. However, on the occasional posting I do decide to add that my conflict with popular opinion, I always add this disclaimer, ” My personal Facebook profile is NOT A FORUM. You have a right to disagree with my opinions and the opinions of those that feel as I do but this isn’t the place to argue about it. I hate it when perfect strangers decide to get into a heated debate on a third persons profile about opposing opinions. We live in America and have the right to think and believe as we want.
On my company’s Facebook page, we stay neutral. We are a social media marketing firm and therefore a B2B services company. We represent organizations that vary in race, creed, and religion and we appreciate the differences in the all and treat them all with the same respect. We also understand that we REPRESENT these organizations and therefore anything we do can be construed as a direct reflection of these organizations so we take every precaution to remain neutral in order to protect the interest of not only our clients but also our payroll.
Some may say we’re selling out. I say it’s simply a good way to do business.
My recommendation to the Chick-Fil-A CEO: Shut the hell up. What can be gained by saying what he said? As some have surmised–the guy closes all his stores on the Sabbath: What do you THINK he thinks?
My recommendation to you: Keep doing what you’re doing. Sure, you might irritate a potential client with your political beliefs. But, you might irritate that same person by professing your love for kittens online, too. You are an opinionated guy. It’s why you started this blog, I’m guessing. I’m not sure why you’d want to hold back those thoughts. That said, personally, I really try to stay away from two topics online: Politics and religion. I might touch on them once in a while, but by and large, I rarely discuss them. Those are my personal beliefs. The people I know well and love know where I stand. I’m not sure others need to know.
But, that’s just me. You’re much different. And, I appreciate that about you.
My two cents, Todd.
No we do not need to keep our mouths shut, but we do need to:
1. Respect that our opinion belong to us and we do not have to force them down other people’s throats. It is OK to express your opinion, to even debate with others – but do so respectfully.
2. Stand by our opinions. I have known about Chick Fil A’s stance on gay marriage and their donations to anti-gay organizations for a long time, yet we ate there weekly. Now I am no longer in the mood for Chick Fil A, mostly because of how they have handled this PR mess from being wishy washy in their initial response, to claiming they were recalling the Jim Henson toys when Jim Henson was the ones who pulled out to possibly having a fake FB profile to defend themselves. There are plenty of people who will stand by you, as they saw on Chick Fil A appreciation day and plenty of people who will respect you standing by your opinion even if they disagree with you. But to say one thing and then get wishy washy when it might affect your bottom line is not good business…imho.
3. I do think person opinions should be separate from business decisions. But more and more corporations are spending their money on organizations that support the leadership’s personal beliefs. That is making more people question where they should spend their money.