Kellogg Company
It is wake up time in America. Kellogg’s decision to pull ads from a white nationalism news site has apparently garnered a frosty flake reception from millions of breakfast consumers. Subscribers and sympathizers of the Breitbart news site are up in arms by the cereal producer’s move to stop advertising on Briebart.com. Kellogg says it will no longer advertise on Breitbart. The controversial website, co-founded by President-elect Donald Trump’s Chief strategist, Steve Bannon, is considered by many to be racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic.
The Battle Creek, Mich., company announced that it didn’t want its cereal ads appearing on the contentious site. The cereal behemoth, whose products include Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Special K, Pop Tarts, and Eggo, remains adamant about its decision to pull all ads, even after the far-right news outlet Breitbart launched a campaign calling for its readers to boycott the food maker. “To be clear, our decision had nothing to do with politics,” Kellogg spokesperson Kris Charles said. “We regularly work with our media buying partners to ensure our ads do not appear on sites that aren’t aligned with our values as set forth in our advertising guidelines.”
“Breitbart is not aligned with our values as a company,” Kellogg said in another statement. Breitbart said that the action of the food maker is Un-American.
As Frosty Flakes lovers and as social entrepreneuers we must determine which position is for the betterment of America and the world. Should companies be forced to take ads from organizations that do not reflect their values. Should organizations demand and have the right to place ads with a company regardless of that company’s values and/or policies.
Many, however, in the ad world expressed their support of Breitbart’s boycott, while others are lending support to Kellogg for taking a stand. “Brands should stand up and demand that their media investments are spent in places that reflect their values,” said Harry Kargman, chief exec of mobile ad platform Kargo.“If Kellogg’s believes that Breitbart does not reflect its values, it should pull its media,” he said. “If Breitbart wants to call a boycott on Kellogg’s, even better. Kellogg’s should embrace its position and take a stand. We are in a polarizing time with the last election and in the immortal words of Hamilton, ‘If you stand for nothing Burr, what do you fall for?’ ”
One thing we can all agree on, if Breitbart is successful in its boycott efforts it could mean that millions of left leaning vegans may have to change their morning diet to Steak and Eggs; a sad day in America.
Atkinson, Claire (2016, December 1) Retrieved from nypost.com