The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2020
Goya Foods' CEO praised Trump, and a boycott call briefly boosted sales instead
In 2020, Goya's CEO praised President Trump at the White House, sparking boycott calls — but the brand's sales rose before returning to normal.
Goya Foods · 2020-07
What happened
On July 9, 2020, Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue spoke at a White House event and praised President Donald Trump, saying the United States was 'truly blessed' to have him as a leader. The remarks immediately triggered calls for a boycott of Goya products on social media, led by Latino public figures including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Unanue doubled down, appearing on Fox News and dismissing the boycott. The controversy also produced a counter-movement: Trump supporters and conservative media encouraged 'buycotts' of Goya. For a few weeks, the brand dominated the news cycle, with figures on both sides treating a food company as a proxy in a political fight.
Research by Cornell and Northwestern professors, published in 2022, found that Goya's nationwide sales actually rose about 22% in the two weeks after the controversy, driven by buycott behaviour. The effect faded within weeks, and sales returned to previous levels.
The episode showed that a boycott call, even from prominent figures, does not automatically translate into lasting financial damage — and that a CEO's political speech can polarise a brand without killing it.
Why it happened
- Unanue made a partisan political statement in his role as CEO, which is hard to separate from the brand in a family-owned company.
- Goya's core Latino customer base was politically diverse, so the boycott call mobilised opponents as well as supporters.
- The controversy became a culture-war symbol, attracting media coverage that overwhelmed the original product message.
- The lack of a clear corporate response from Goya's board allowed the CEO's personal stance to define the brand for weeks.
The lesson
A boycott's volume on social media is not the same as its impact on sales. But even a temporary surge does not make a brand's politics a strategy — it makes the company a symbol instead of a product.
Aftermath
Goya sales briefly rose, then returned to baseline. Robert Unanue remained CEO for several years but was eventually removed from leadership in 2025. The case is now used in marketing research on the limits of political consumerism.
Sources
- Social media boycott of Goya did not harm sales — Cornell Chronicle
- Goya boycott after CEO's praise of Trump resulted in higher sales: study — Food Dive
- Goya Foods, Inc.: Boycott or Buycott Due to the CEO's Political Stance — Harvard Business Review
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