Target say sorry

After the anger at Target's donation to Tom Emmer's campaign started to pick up more media coverage and a quarter of a million boycott notices, the financial markets started to dump Target stock for fear of a GLBT boycott destroying the bottom line. Now, Target have said a sort-of sorry:

Dear Target Leaders,
I have heard from many of you, and our team members, over the past week regarding Target’s contribution to MN Forward, and I appreciate your engagement and candor, both of which clearly demonstrate your loyalty and passion for our company.

In situations like this, it is often difficult to find the right words, but I would like to respond with the same honesty you have shown me.

The intent of our political contribution to MN Forward was to support economic growth and job creation. While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry.

We remain fully committed to fostering an environment that supports and respects the rights and beliefs of all individuals. The diversity of our team is an important aspect of our unique culture and our success as a company, and we did not mean to disappoint you, our team or our valued guests.

Going forward, we will soon begin a strategic review and analysis of our decision-making process for financial contributions in the public policy arena. And later this fall, Target will take a leadership role in bringing together a group of companies and partner organizations for a dialogue focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including GLBT issues.

Thank you for sharing your input and for your continued commitment to making Target an even stronger company.

Sincerely,
Gregg Steinhafel
Chairman, President and CEO

I'm not sure coming up with a policy of "don't give money to hate-filled right-wing blowhards" should take much time this fall, but good luck with that.

Best Buy, however, have only made a stuttering statement that's more a justification, no apology. Brian Dunn heads the company, and he might be funding a homophobe's political campaign, but - hey - it's a learning experience, right?:

One of the best parts of my job leading Best Buy is meeting customers and employees and hearing what they have to say. Recently, some have had a lot to say about Best Buy’s activity in politics, and our political contributions. If I could gather all of our employees and customers in one room, here’s what I’d tell them about Best Buy:

We’re Listening: In our quest to focus on jobs and the economy, we’ve disappointed and confused some employees and customers. My leadership team and I are listening to, and learning from, your input. I’m taking it to heart.

We’re Learning: Best Buy’s recent contribution in Minnesota was done through an independent expenditure organization, focused solely on jobs and an improved economy. However, in this case, this contribution has raised questions on broader issues beyond jobs and the economy – most specifically, on issues that involve the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender (LGBT) community. We’ve learned from this. We’ve had a policy and process to guide the company’s voice (which has always remained focused on our business and the economy). We will review the process we use to make political contributions. We’ll seek out employee input and ideas about the policy and process.

We Remain Focused on Jobs and the Economy: I want our company to grow and do well so that Best Buy can continue to be a good employer and continue to support the communities in which we do business. While it’s not without risks, Best Buy will continue to make our voice heard in the debate about the economic livelihood of our communities.

We Encourage You To Get Involved: I believe in the importance of political debate. And we believe in the power of that debate. That’s why it’s so important for you to get involved and make sure your voice is being heard. I encourage you to be engaged in the communities where we live and do business. Be part of the electoral process. Join the political debate. Exercise your right to vote.

We’re the Same Company We’ve Always Been: Some groups are raising questions about our commitment to the LGBT community. The fact is that we have been - and remain - strongly committed to LGBT workplace equality, and other diversity concerns.

• We’re proud of our relationships with Twin Cities PRIDE, The Matthew Shepherd Foundation, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and other groups that advocate for the rights of diverse communities.

• For the past six years Best Buy has received a perfect 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index recognizing our commitment to LGBT workplace equality.
• Best Buy works closely with the Human Rights Campaign and other businesses in advocating for the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

• Best Buy also supports a number of employee groups, including our PRIDE employee business network.

One Last Thing … Best Buy is a people company. I often say, but more importantly, I BELIEVE, that our people are our greatest competitive advantage. I remain as strong as ever in our belief that a diverse workforce and customer base makes us a better company. I want our employees and customers - all of them - to feel welcome and valued.

They're listening, they're learning. They're not, though, going to show any indication that giving Tom Emmer money was wrong. Best Steer Clear.

Target spends customer's cash on Republican who gives money to hate-filled Christian band

One of the nice things about shopping at Target is their pledge to donate a healthy chunk of their take to local charities. Every five per cent you spend on guacamole-style dip and hammers goes to do something good.

Normally.

It turns out, though, in Minnesota Target are making donations to a group called Minnesota Forward. Minnesota Forward, in turn, spend their money trying to get Tom Emmer elected governor.

If you're not entirely up to speed on your State-level Republicans, Emmer is something of a charmer. Amongst his glowing record as a state representative you can find an attempt to close down HIV education because it was "salacious" and he's the only candidate for governor to not support gay marriage.

But there's more, and nastier, stuff here: when he was running for the Minnesota house, Tom Emmer's campaign gave money in turn to You Can Run But You Cannot Hide Intl., Inc. That charming group is Bradlee Dean's "church". Dean leads a Christian punk band, and hosts a radio show on which Emmer has happily guested:

Emmer has appeared on Bradlee Dean’s radio show — the same program on which Dean said, “Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination.”

So, Target are giving money to ForwardMinnesota. FM give money to Emmer. Emmer gives money to a man who believes gay people should be killed.

And what happens when Gay organisations call on Target to perhaps think a bit more deeply about where their money is going?

Emmer wails that it's an attack on his right to free speech. Perhaps he's being satirical - after all, telling people not to talk about your dirty secrets because it goes against your rights to say what you believe could only be a joke. After all, he respects Dean's rights to say what he wants:

“My understanding is that it’s a Christian-based ministry that’s about family, that is about respect for yourself….I know that they’re a pro-marriage, pro-traditional marriage group,” Emmer told the Strib.

“These are nice people. Are we going to agree on everything? No….I really appreciate their passion and you know what I respect their point of view,” he said. “I respect their right to have whatever view. That’s what makes it a great country. You don’t have to agree with it.”

That doesn't work, though, if what someone is saying is that Emmer shouldn't be supporting such groups. Then suddenly there's a view which isn't somehow part of what makes America a great country.

Emmer's campaign apparently feels this is "distancing" itself from Dean:

Emmer’s campaign distanced itself from Dean’s statements on Monday: “Tom’s position on social issues has been very clear and consistent. He is a supporter of traditional marriage, and he strongly opposes any kind of violence or unfair discrimination against any group.”

Although he is quite happy to give money to people to help them advocate murdering gays.

Target - and Best Buy, who also support Forward Minnesota - aren't actually that bothered by the whole chain of connections. Their real motivation in supporting Emmer is to try and get tax breaks, and if that means turning a blind eye to this sort of shit, then they happily will.

The only way to get them to change their mind is to make it less lucrative for them to be supporting this candidate than it is for them to support him. Be careful where you buy your CDs and guacamole, America. And in the UK, steer clear of Best Buy in Thurrock - and perhaps ask Carphone Warehouse about their partner's atttitudes.

WalMart and Target turn Pepsi blue

The link-up between Pepsi and Amazon to give away squillions of free mp3s has hit a problem: US Retailers have taken the hump at giving shelf-space to a promotion for a company they see as a competitor.

This is bad for Pepsi - in-store pushing of the free mp3s has been scanty at WalMart and Target - but worse news for Amazon who have been airbrushed out of the picture to keep retailers happy:

In an apparent response to retailers’ concerns, Amazon’s name has been banished from the front of Pepsi bottles carrying the promotion – rendering it invisible in supermarket aisles to passing shoppers.

Similarly, Amazon’s logo is on the back of cardboard multi-pack cartons of cans that are stacked on the shelves of mass discounters and supermarkets, next to the product’s bar code and nutritional information.

Considering this was Amazon's big push to trumpet its new download service outside of the Geekosphere, that's got to be a big let-down. No figures yet on how many tracks have been given away.

Somewhere, a really annoyed guy is trying to skim an iPod across a lake

We're very taken with the story of the family who bought their daughter an iPod, only to discover the box was full of rocks. They returned the thing to Target, only to get a store credit and have to drive twenty miles to the next branch of Target which still had iPods in stock.

Guess what?

That was full of rocks too.

And, apparently, Target wouldn't give a refund even then. (Presumably having blown such large sums fighting a losing battle to own the roundel trademark has left the company short of the readies.)

Now, this sounds like an urban myth to us, but the Star Telegram swears its true; they reckon there's something going on at the warehouse which supplies Target in Texas.

We'd love Family Dollar to launch a campaign with a slogan "When it says rocks on our box, you'll find rocks in our box."

Target poked in the eye by Music Choice

An expensive, drawn-out legal battle between Target (America's slightly less-cluttered Tesco/Woolworth hybrid) and Music Choice (the Sky-carried audio service that nobody you've ever met listens to) has ended with Target being told it has no rights to the bulls eye marque in the UK, and being ordered to pay £100,000 to cover some of Music Choice's costs. There are still hearings to be held to consider the matter in Europe; Target stockholders might also want to ponder why the company has been spending so much cash defending a logo in a country where the company doesn't operate so much as a school tuck shop.