Papa John Schnatter, you're no Chick-Fil-A Dan Cathy.
Yes, there are ultra-conservative , right wing, Obama-hating dollars to be made by getting famous for disagreeing with Obama about something, but threatening to cut your employees' hours to avoid providing Obamacare to your workers is not the way to do it.
You can learn a lot from Dan Cathy at Chick-Fil-A. Here's how Cathy leveraged the power of hate to bring out the right wing base and increase his same-store sales:
1. First, do like Dan Cathy did - pick the right battle. Don't pick Obamacare. Some of your Obama-hating customers secretly want some Obamacare because, without it, they won't have any healthcare. Learn from Dan Cathy who appealed to the homophobia that is rife in the GOP base. Don't try to increase same store sales by asking your customers to rally for you on a pocketbook issue like healthcare. If there's one thing Republican evangelicals hate more than gay people it's not having any healthcare.
2. Don't directly attack Obama or one of his policies, get somebody in the Obama administration to attack you - as Rahm Emanuel did when Chick-Fil-A , infamous for its anti-gay personnel policies and its financial support for anti-gay organizations, when Chick-Fil-A tried to get a business license to operate in Rahm Emanuel's Chicago. Cha-Ching. Millions of gay-hating, chicken-eating evangelicals flocked to Chick-Fil-A restaurants to stand up. stand up for Jeezussss buy supporting a business that picks on gays.
3. Spend a little time courting and wooing the right wingers, cooing and dog whistling in their ears as Cathy did before Rahm Emanuel attacked him. Chick-Fil-A spent years dog-whistling evangelicals - closing on Sundays, catering free chicken to meetings of the ultra-conservative Christian Business Men's Committee, and, of course, getting sued for unfair treatment of their gay employees and applicants.
Joining Louisville's mega Southeast Christian Church and being seen playing golf with Senior Pastor, Bob Russell, isn't the same as showing gays the love of Jeeezussss by being mean to them.
Come on, Papa John Schnatter, get in the game. Where's the dog-whistle in making TV commercials starring pro football players? Give your base the spokespeople they want. Don't try to play the anti-gay card - Chick-Fil-A already did that. Your right wing base is dying to buy pizza from a chain that questions Obama's citizenship so why not give them head birthers Donald Trump and Joe Arpaio? And your base loves to portray their God as a deity that is willing to kill innocent people to punish "ungodly" politicians so why not give your TV commercial viewers Michele Bachmann, who famously said God sent deadly earthquakes and hurricanes to get Washington's attention.
Do a TV commercial starring all the high-profile anti-science and anti-women candidates who were defeated in their recent races: Deadbeat dad and soon-to-be-former-Congressman, Joe Walsh, who recently said women don't die in childbirth anymore so there's no need for the "life of the mother exception" in abortion law. And don't forget "Legitimate Rape" candidate, Todd Akin.
And if you really want your same-store sales to spike, give viewers a TV commercial in which defeated VP candidate, Paul Ryan, calls rape just another method of conception.
But do it today before Dan Cathy at Chick-Fil-A thinks of it.
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Higginbotham At Large reads all submitted comments but only PUBLISHES comments from identified commenters. No Pseudonymous or anonymous comments will be published.
Showing posts with label Chick-fil-A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chick-fil-A. Show all posts
14 November, 2012
03 August, 2012
Here's What WIll Happen Next In The Chick-fil-A Controversy
I proved prophetic about the Chick-fil-A flap. In my July 25 and 27 posts I said that Dan Cathy's remarks about gay marriage would drive Chick-fil-A's customer base of Republican evangelicals would flock to their nearest Chick-fil-A and show thank Chick-fil-A for validating their homophobia by buying more Chick-fil-A food. Furthermore, I said that Dan Cathy knew exactly what he was doing and that the Left's response to Cathy (Chicago refusing to grant them a permit to open a restaurant, for example) would only result in greater same store sales. Over the last week conservative politicians have covered their desks with Chick-fil-A food, evangelical and conservative customers have formed long lines around Chick-fil-A restaurants in a show of appreciation to the chicken chain that validated their homophobia and hatred for gays.
In short, Dan Cathy executed a brilliant business strategy: by attacking gays, he cultivated the right enemies and made more money. In Republican and evangelical towns where most of his stores are, the only marketing plan better than getting publicly rebuked by Rahm Emanuel would be getting rebuked by President Obama himself.
As I said in my July 25 and 27 posts, there is a symbiotic, money-making symbiotic relationship between those who support gay marriage and those who oppose it. So here's what's going to happen next: Lefties who don't understand evangelicals because they don't actually know any and Lefties who haven't yet figured out how the world works will continue to play right into Dan Cathy's brilliant and cynical money-making plan by denouncing Chick-fil-A and calling for boycotts. On the other hand, Lefties who understand the Lefty-Righty symbiosis will just as cynically use Chick-fil-A's financial contributions to anti-gay organizations and Chick-fil-A's public record of unfair labor practices toward gays to open the wallets and checkbooks of Lefties who don't understand how the world works and don't know any evangelicals and,therefore, don't know how evangelicals react to public shame and humiliation.
Further, Republicans and Evangelicals who want to monetize evangelicals' desire to show appreciation to Chick-fil-A for validating their homophobia, will flood Chick-fil-A headquarters with franchise requests. Cynical Southern evangelical politicians will shore up their base by publicly assuring Chick-fil-A that their restaurants are welcome in their Hootervilles. Simply by reading the mail, Dan Cathy will be able to identify the geographies where his kind of people are eagerly awaiting their opportunity to show their gratitude and appreciation for validating them.
Wow, following Christ is easy these days. There was a time when following Christ might involve suffering or death or acts of love and righteousness but now all one has to do to demonstrate his Christianity is to denounce gay marriage or buy a chicken sandwich.
And here's what won't happen next: Minds and hearts will not be changed by the brilliant and cynical anti-gay statements of Dan Cathy or by the shrill reaction of The Left. The American people no longer think, they simply shop for and then align themselves with other people who validate them.
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Higginbotham At Large will be happy to publish comments from identified commentors but Higginbotham At Large will not publish comments from people who try to hide behind a pseudonym or nom de guerre. Higginbotham At Large has no use whatsoever for enemies who don't have the courage to put their names on their comments but Higginbotham At Large would welcome critical comments from The Right Enemies if those enemies are willing to use their real names.
In short, Dan Cathy executed a brilliant business strategy: by attacking gays, he cultivated the right enemies and made more money. In Republican and evangelical towns where most of his stores are, the only marketing plan better than getting publicly rebuked by Rahm Emanuel would be getting rebuked by President Obama himself.
As I said in my July 25 and 27 posts, there is a symbiotic, money-making symbiotic relationship between those who support gay marriage and those who oppose it. So here's what's going to happen next: Lefties who don't understand evangelicals because they don't actually know any and Lefties who haven't yet figured out how the world works will continue to play right into Dan Cathy's brilliant and cynical money-making plan by denouncing Chick-fil-A and calling for boycotts. On the other hand, Lefties who understand the Lefty-Righty symbiosis will just as cynically use Chick-fil-A's financial contributions to anti-gay organizations and Chick-fil-A's public record of unfair labor practices toward gays to open the wallets and checkbooks of Lefties who don't understand how the world works and don't know any evangelicals and,therefore, don't know how evangelicals react to public shame and humiliation.
Further, Republicans and Evangelicals who want to monetize evangelicals' desire to show appreciation to Chick-fil-A for validating their homophobia, will flood Chick-fil-A headquarters with franchise requests. Cynical Southern evangelical politicians will shore up their base by publicly assuring Chick-fil-A that their restaurants are welcome in their Hootervilles. Simply by reading the mail, Dan Cathy will be able to identify the geographies where his kind of people are eagerly awaiting their opportunity to show their gratitude and appreciation for validating them.
Wow, following Christ is easy these days. There was a time when following Christ might involve suffering or death or acts of love and righteousness but now all one has to do to demonstrate his Christianity is to denounce gay marriage or buy a chicken sandwich.
And here's what won't happen next: Minds and hearts will not be changed by the brilliant and cynical anti-gay statements of Dan Cathy or by the shrill reaction of The Left. The American people no longer think, they simply shop for and then align themselves with other people who validate them.
--
Higginbotham At Large will be happy to publish comments from identified commentors but Higginbotham At Large will not publish comments from people who try to hide behind a pseudonym or nom de guerre. Higginbotham At Large has no use whatsoever for enemies who don't have the courage to put their names on their comments but Higginbotham At Large would welcome critical comments from The Right Enemies if those enemies are willing to use their real names.
27 July, 2012
Chick-fil-A Brilliantly Increases Same Store Sales By Getting Rahm Emanuel To Attack Them
When from blue states restaurant permit denials spring, red state Chick-fil-A cash registers ring.
Chick-fil-A just increased its same-store sales in existing markets by cultivating another important enemy: Chicago Mayor and former Obama Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. Yeah, Emanuel says "Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values" and that he will support Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno's pledge to deny Chick-fil-A's permit to open a restaurant in his 1st Ward.
Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching - can you hear those Chick-fil-A cash registers ringing in those conservative neighborhoods where Truett Cathy built his chicken empire?
Chick-fil-A's strategy of getting lefties to attack them is brilliant. Let me explain: opening new restaurants is much more expensive than simply figuring out how to increase same store sales so Chick-fil-A can actually grow profits faster if they simply grow same store sales instead of opening new restaurants. Chick-fil-A doesn't want to open restaurants in Chicago, they simply want to make the right enemies. It's a brilliant strategy and it works every time. Every time The Left attacks Chick-fil-A for their "courageous" Biblical stand against gay marriage, conservatives in existing Chick-fil-A markets just buy more Chick-fil-A chicken. It's brilliant and for a restaurant chain that operates mainly in Republican, evangelical, Obama-hating neighborhoods, it's a very smart business strategy.
The only thing that would increase Chick-fil-A same store sales more than being attacked by one of President Obama's allies and operatives is getting attacked by The President himself. I'm sure Dan Cathy is working on it.
If I were Chick-fil-A, I'd apply for restaurant permits in every gay-friendly neighborhood in America and pray that every one of those permits are denied and that lefties and gay-organizations protest Chick-fil-A in every gay-friendly market. Every time Chick-fil-A is denied a permit in blue states they'll get increased same store sales in red states.
For more on the brilliant strategy of selling more chicken by cultivating the right enemies, see my July 25 post.
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No anonymous or pseudonymous comments are published at Higginbotham At Large. No ring of Gyges for you.
Chick-fil-A just increased its same-store sales in existing markets by cultivating another important enemy: Chicago Mayor and former Obama Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. Yeah, Emanuel says "Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values" and that he will support Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno's pledge to deny Chick-fil-A's permit to open a restaurant in his 1st Ward.
Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching - can you hear those Chick-fil-A cash registers ringing in those conservative neighborhoods where Truett Cathy built his chicken empire?
Chick-fil-A's strategy of getting lefties to attack them is brilliant. Let me explain: opening new restaurants is much more expensive than simply figuring out how to increase same store sales so Chick-fil-A can actually grow profits faster if they simply grow same store sales instead of opening new restaurants. Chick-fil-A doesn't want to open restaurants in Chicago, they simply want to make the right enemies. It's a brilliant strategy and it works every time. Every time The Left attacks Chick-fil-A for their "courageous" Biblical stand against gay marriage, conservatives in existing Chick-fil-A markets just buy more Chick-fil-A chicken. It's brilliant and for a restaurant chain that operates mainly in Republican, evangelical, Obama-hating neighborhoods, it's a very smart business strategy.
The only thing that would increase Chick-fil-A same store sales more than being attacked by one of President Obama's allies and operatives is getting attacked by The President himself. I'm sure Dan Cathy is working on it.
If I were Chick-fil-A, I'd apply for restaurant permits in every gay-friendly neighborhood in America and pray that every one of those permits are denied and that lefties and gay-organizations protest Chick-fil-A in every gay-friendly market. Every time Chick-fil-A is denied a permit in blue states they'll get increased same store sales in red states.
For more on the brilliant strategy of selling more chicken by cultivating the right enemies, see my July 25 post.
--
No anonymous or pseudonymous comments are published at Higginbotham At Large. No ring of Gyges for you.
25 July, 2012
Chick-fil-A's Dan Cathy Wasn't Making A Bird-Brained Business Mistake, He Was Selling More Chicken To Republicans And Evangelicals
Christina Pesoli (of the Huffington Post) is wrong about Chick-fil-A President, Dan Cathy. He didn't make a bird brained, business-killing comment about gays. He excited his base. He rallied the chicken-eating consumer base Chick-fil-A has always pursued: gay-hating evangelicals and Republicans.
When chicken king, Dan Cathy, became the object of The Left's scorn and derision, every fundamentalist Christian and every conservative Republican in America went to Chick-fil-A and bought chicken, which is exactly what Dan Cathy knew they would do.
Chick-fil-A has long been a darling of The Evangelical Right. Chick-fil-A offers special deals to churches and to chapters of the CBMC. They close on Sunday. Their franchisees are often pillars of their conservative churches. Chick-fil-A doesn't need to sell chicken to progressives and Democrats.
The truth is, this strategy of offending your non-customers to earn even more business from your customers is commonplace. If you watch TV you already know that there is a whole industry of issue advocates who need - yes, that's right, they need and even cultivate - enemies to help them attract contributions from their core constituencies. There's even a saying about "making the right enemies". That's what Dan Cathy did when he uttered what seemed like bigoted and socially tone deaf remarks against gays: he made the right enemies. The more the gays and the lefties complain about what he said, the more his core constituency stands in solidarity with him by buying more of his chicken.
None of the professional issue advocates will admit it but they have a symbiosis with their ideological opposites. The smart ones cultivate the right enemies and then ask their ideological base for money. A few years ago I even wrote some fiction (loosely-based on a preacher who was once arrested for burning a gay flag at a gay pride parade) to show how it works.
Capitalizing on his new-found fame as a defender of the Christian faith, the gay flag burning preacher goes on Christian talk radio and conservative right wing talk radio and announces that the next time there is a gay pride event in his area he will walk through the crowd with a can of gasoline and that he will flick gasoline on the gay people. After he has flicked gasoline, he announces, he will then flick lit matches into the gasoline-moist crowd. After announcing his intention to assault gay people with gas and lit matches, this preacher then asks supporters to contribute money to his new "ministry". Every gay hater, conservative Christian and conservative Republican within the sound of his voice sends him $10 or $20.
Likewise, gay and lesbian groups use the preacher's promised gas-and-matches assault to ask for contributions from their base of gays and lefties.
Everybody makes money. Both "sides" made the right enemies and were rewarded with contributions.
This is what Dan Cathy did when he made insensitive remarks about gays. He made the right enemies. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Please note that, in the non-fiction and fictional stories above, nobody is being converted, nobody's mind gets changed. That's why churches and other Christian organizations don't do evangelism anymore. Evangelism is not the goal. Everybody is just trying to make the right enemies to keep the contributions rolling in.
And to keep conservatives eating chicken at Chick-fil-A.
--
Higginbotham At Large readers may be anonymous lurkers but ALL published Higginbotham At Large commentors will be clearly identified and named. NO RING OF GYGES FOR YOU. Higginbotham At Large will publish no anonymous or pseudonymous comments.
When chicken king, Dan Cathy, became the object of The Left's scorn and derision, every fundamentalist Christian and every conservative Republican in America went to Chick-fil-A and bought chicken, which is exactly what Dan Cathy knew they would do.
Chick-fil-A has long been a darling of The Evangelical Right. Chick-fil-A offers special deals to churches and to chapters of the CBMC. They close on Sunday. Their franchisees are often pillars of their conservative churches. Chick-fil-A doesn't need to sell chicken to progressives and Democrats.
The truth is, this strategy of offending your non-customers to earn even more business from your customers is commonplace. If you watch TV you already know that there is a whole industry of issue advocates who need - yes, that's right, they need and even cultivate - enemies to help them attract contributions from their core constituencies. There's even a saying about "making the right enemies". That's what Dan Cathy did when he uttered what seemed like bigoted and socially tone deaf remarks against gays: he made the right enemies. The more the gays and the lefties complain about what he said, the more his core constituency stands in solidarity with him by buying more of his chicken.
None of the professional issue advocates will admit it but they have a symbiosis with their ideological opposites. The smart ones cultivate the right enemies and then ask their ideological base for money. A few years ago I even wrote some fiction (loosely-based on a preacher who was once arrested for burning a gay flag at a gay pride parade) to show how it works.
Capitalizing on his new-found fame as a defender of the Christian faith, the gay flag burning preacher goes on Christian talk radio and conservative right wing talk radio and announces that the next time there is a gay pride event in his area he will walk through the crowd with a can of gasoline and that he will flick gasoline on the gay people. After he has flicked gasoline, he announces, he will then flick lit matches into the gasoline-moist crowd. After announcing his intention to assault gay people with gas and lit matches, this preacher then asks supporters to contribute money to his new "ministry". Every gay hater, conservative Christian and conservative Republican within the sound of his voice sends him $10 or $20.
Likewise, gay and lesbian groups use the preacher's promised gas-and-matches assault to ask for contributions from their base of gays and lefties.
Everybody makes money. Both "sides" made the right enemies and were rewarded with contributions.
This is what Dan Cathy did when he made insensitive remarks about gays. He made the right enemies. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Please note that, in the non-fiction and fictional stories above, nobody is being converted, nobody's mind gets changed. That's why churches and other Christian organizations don't do evangelism anymore. Evangelism is not the goal. Everybody is just trying to make the right enemies to keep the contributions rolling in.
And to keep conservatives eating chicken at Chick-fil-A.
--
Higginbotham At Large readers may be anonymous lurkers but ALL published Higginbotham At Large commentors will be clearly identified and named. NO RING OF GYGES FOR YOU. Higginbotham At Large will publish no anonymous or pseudonymous comments.
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