New Suite 101 article online posted today.
“I think this is part of the wake-up call for companies to understand that social media makes these decisions very, very risky,” Reed said, “because it’s much easier now for these messages to get out to consumers and consumers to virtually organize.”
Individuals have free speech rights as guaranteed by the First Amendment, but they also must accept the responsibilities that come with those rights. When an individual freely take on a figurehead position, he or she essentially becomes the voice of the company and it creates a relationship between the President’s words and the company’s image. By speaking so loosely, Dan Carthy opened himself and Chick-fil-A up to the consequences, and the consequences appear to be socially, politically, and possibly for the company’s profits, significant.
If anything, Chick-fil-a has managed to make a polarizing issue out of the consumption of chicken sandwiches…
Read more at Suite101: How Chick-fil-A Created a Public Relations Nightmare | Suite101.com http://suite101.com/article/how-chick-fil-a-created-a-public-relations-nightmare-a410405#ixzz22ANCBlxW
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