The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2005–2008
Ford's LGBT outreach drew a three-year boycott from the American Family Association
The AFA boycotted Ford for advertising in gay media and supporting same-sex benefits. Ford curtailed some ads, then resumed them, pleasing no one.
Ford Motor Company · 2005-05
What happened
In May 2005 the American Family Association, a conservative Christian group based in Mississippi, announced a boycott of Ford Motor Company. The AFA objected to Ford's advertising in LGBT publications, donations to gay-rights groups, sponsorship of gay-pride events and same-sex domestic-partner benefits for employees.
Ford initially suspended some brand advertising in gay media and agreed to talks with the AFA. The AFA suspended its boycott in late 2005 at the request of Ford dealers, but restarted it in March 2006 after Ford resumed corporate ads across its brands in gay publications. The boycott ran until March 2008, by which point AFA said 780,635 people had signed its pledge.
Ford's zigzag satisfied neither side. LGBT advocates criticized the company for backing away from the community, while the AFA accused Ford of reneging on a good-faith agreement. Ford maintained that its media decisions were based on business, not the boycott.
Why it happened
- Ford had gone further than any US automaker in LGBT-specific marketing, including Jaguar, Volvo and Land Rover ads in gay media and donations tied to vehicle sales.
- The company responded to the boycott by cutting some targeted placements, which read as capitulation to opponents and betrayal to supporters.
- Ford took too long to explain its position publicly, letting both the AFA and LGBT advocates define the story.
The lesson
When two opposing audiences care about your values, half-measures tend to alienate both.
Sources
- Deseret News: Christian group shuns Ford over gay issues
- Pride Source: Pride and Prejudice — The Automotive Industry and 'The Gays'
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