I always shop at Lowe's, due to a series of bad retail experiences at Home Depot, so this doesn't really effect me. But man, just how tone deaf can they be?In a local Home Depot here in north Texas this sign was spotted. Its almost entirely in Spanish and reads
Support Mexico on the journey to South Africa: Free gift with purchase!
So a US company, is advertising in its US stores, with signs primarily in Spanish, to sponsor not just a foreign country’s sports team but a competitor as well. Its not like there isn't a US team in the tournament.
Kudos to The Forgotten Man for doing some outstanding citizen journalism here. For sure, you'll never see this is the local fish wrap.
I don't get it, why is this offensive? They are marketing to their customer segment. Just like toyota having a nascar team and michelin supporting US IMSA teams. What's the big deal? I doubt you would see this sort of display in states without a heavy mexican-american population, but in those areas where it makes sense, why begrudge Home Despot from marketing to them? It is a private company making a decision to support (or maybe just appear to support) an international sports team. Should we boycott Goodyear for supporting german race teams and having photos on their website? I'm all for boycotting on grounds of crappy products, crappy service, or a companies political stance... but I don't make decisions (pro or con) based on what sports team the company supports.
ReplyDeleteJMHO
Ole for Borepatch.
ReplyDeleteI see why the photo (and actions of Home Depot) are offensive.
genedunn, the problem for Home Depot is that their customer base is local, but their market is nation wide. This means that there are some things you don't do in one location because it hurts other locations.
ReplyDeleteGiven the number of "Freedom isn't free" bumperstickers you see in Home Depot parking lots from sea to shining sea, rooting for another country's team against this country's team is marketing FAIL. When you combine it with as touchy a subject as immigration, it becomes radioactive.
Their marketing team should have known this. Quite frankly, this can only be explained by either arrogance or incompetence. If this goes viral, then they will be repairing the brand damage for months. They're damn lucky that it's just The Forgotten Man and me on this story - if this gets picked up by (say) Malkin, it'll hit the fan.
The question is not whether they can get a few more Mexican-Americans. The question is whether they lose a bunch of non-Hyphen Americans.
I always shop at Lowe's,
ReplyDeleteA Lowes Man... I love you even more now, Borepatch. In a manly, building materials sorta way, of course :)
I don't recall anyone calling for a "boycott", and they can certainly market to whomever and however they choose. If they reap rewards from it - good on them.
But Home Depot doesn't exist in a vacuum. The free market doesn't mean you can do whatever you like without any consequences at all. They are free to advertise like this and I am free to go across the street and shop somewhere else if it bothers me.
And it does.
That is the free market.
I am upset with Lowe's and Home Depot because of their bilingual (Spanish) signs. I mean, here in NH about 1/3 of the population or more has French last names, and I will bet that there are more people of Finnish extraction than say, Mexican. And yes, let's root against the home team, which I think, is USA. How do we contact folks to let them know we will make this go viral? Can we forward this to Ms. Malkin?
ReplyDeleteI love you even more now, Borepatch. In a manly, building materials sorta way, of course :)
ReplyDeletePaladin, you can't know what a relief that is to Mrs. Borepatch. ;-)
Libertyman, forward to whoever you think makes sense and will listen. I have.
Home Depot's a nightmare - unlike the Tractor Supply Company, which I like.
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to the reason I will never bank with Bank of America. They used to run advertisements in Phoenix that read "Free wire transfers to Mexico" in Spanish.
ReplyDeleteI think it is incredible the way the corporate culture does this. In Montana (where there are about 3 Mexicans, total) the big chain stores still run all of these bilingual signs. Not only is it infective, but it also wastes their money. But some CEO made the policy, so they're gonna do it, dagnabit!
ReplyDeleteOne size can never fit all.
As Paladin said, its a free market. And within that it seems to be a really dumb move. I perused the Mexican home depot site as well and they didn't have any sponsoship for the team that I could find so it looks like a US only promotion. They are running a promotion that is only available to legal US residents marketing a foreign team and only in spanish in a conservative rural town with only a 20% hispanic population (16% Mexican). I didn't get a chance to check the local stores here in Big D before it expired.
ReplyDeleteanyway, it looks like the promotion is over now http://futbol.homedepot.com/
genedunn: "They are marketing to their customer segment."
ReplyDeleteSo what you're telling us is that the "customer segment" for this Texas Home Depot is Mexicans. Perhaps there's a big contingent that drives up from Mexico to shop at the Texas Hope Depot.