In politics, you’re either on-message or you’re losing. Let’s get to it.
Welcome to On Message, a weekly look at where the battle lines are drawn and who is winning the war of words.
This week… Enter the Fray.
Politics and political discord have spilled out of the political arena and seeped into everything these days. Gone, at least for now, are the times when you could just watch a ballgame or enjoy a meal without it somehow being hijacked for someone’s agenda and actions are regularly construed as an act of political defiance or support for the establishment.
And while that is just something most of us have to deal with, it can make life difficult for businesses trying to navigate a politically correct minefield.
Take for example, Woodbury Corp., a big player in commercial real estate in Utah. One of the company’s most well-known properties is the University Place development in Orem.
Woodbury stirred up a little controversy earlier this year when reports say the business asked candidates to support continued development on the site in exchange for the privilege of posting political campaign signs on the property.
Fair enough. It’s their property and their right to do so.
And that space is not only in a prime location with a lot of traffic but it is also in a city that prohibits political signs on city property, making sign placement there even more valuable to candidates and their campaigns.
The controversy arose when those who wouldn’t sign the pledge did what you would expect them to do… hammering their opponents for agreeing to the demand.
In recent days, another Utah company has found itself in the political rough waters.
Banbury Cross bakery, best known for some excellent donuts, may have bit off more than it could chew when it posted a sign on its doors that read:
“… sadly, due to government and state handouts no one wants to work anymore. Therefore, we are short-staffed during our busy season.”
Certainly a tone of frustration. As you would expect, a photo of the sign was posted on the internet and it took the combined resources of Reddit no time at all to point out the bakery had, itself, taken some of that government handout, reportedly to the tune of a 140-thousand dollar PPP loan.
Whether or not the online outrage translates into a measurable impact on the company’s revenue isn’t something we’re likely to know and maybe the outrage will drive business to them equal to or greater than what they may lose.
But both examples bring up a larger issue: When is it advantageous for a business to take sides on a political or cultural battlefield?
The answers to that question are as many and varied as there are businesses. Making a determination is as much an art as it is a science. But one thing all business owners should do is give the matter serious forethought.
What’s the worst that can happen? Are we prepared to deal with the consequences if it does? What will we say if our actions are misinterpreted?
All that is worth thinking through BEFORE you take a position or speak out on an issue that can impact your bottom line.
And, of course, sometimes businesses may find it worthwhile to engage. But doing so without proper planning can cause nothing but trouble.
The Woodbury Corporation has announced that no political signs will be allowed on their properties going forward. That will keep the issue from causing them trouble in the future. They probably wish they had taken that position from the outset. As for Banbury, they may have been better off just asking for patience from their customers and limiting the political commentary to their break room.
That’s it for this week.
More On Message in the next issue of the Utah Political Underground.
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