Is Dunkin’ Donuts the latest corporation to test the theory “go woke, go broke?”
Chris Pavlovsk, CEO of Rumble, tweeted last Wednesday that Dunkin’ asked his company to cut ties with Steven Crowder, a conservative talk show host, and to avoid supporting “right-wing culture.” Rumble, the video-sharing platform Pavlovski runs, tends to attract a more conservative audience.
The emails that Pavlovski shared in his tweet seem to show messages from Dunkin’, Inspire Brands, and Diageo North America. These companies said they didn’t want to be on the site because they felt it was “too polarizing” and could hurt their images. They threatened to pull advertising from the platform.
Jeremy Hambly, a far-right commentator who runs a YouTube channel called The Quartering, discussed the issue in a recent video. He criticized Dunkin’ for “woke” marketing choices. His video has started many conversations, especially among people who believe businesses should stay out of politics.
The reaction to Dunkin’s position has been predictably hostile, especially on social media like Twitter. Hambly noticed that Dunkin’ Donuts’ recent posts have been “ratioed,” meaning there are more negative comments than likes. Well-known conservatives like Steven Crowder and Megyn Kelly have also spoken up, making the backlash even bigger.
Hambly, who owns Coffee Brand Coffee, thinks businesses should focus on making good products instead of getting involved in politics. He compares his approach to Dunkin’s, saying that his coffee company sells to everyone, regardless of political views. Hambly believes that Dunkin’s choice to move away from conservative customers is a mistake and bad for business.
One of the first problems Dunkin’ faces because of the backlash is using social media for advertising. Hambly pointed out that almost every post Dunkin’ makes on X gets tons of negative comments, making it hard to advertise their products online. Hambly believes this hostile reaction is because Dunkin’ decided to do what he calls “woke” marketing.
In his video, Hambly kept questioning Dunkin’s strategy. He didn’t understand why a company would risk losing so many customers to make a political statement. Hambly thinks businesses should stay neutral and not pick sides in cultural debates. He believes this approach would be better for the company and its customers.
The controversy around Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t just about one marketing decision; it could affect the brand’s reputation in a big way. Hambly warned that if Dunkin’ keeps going in this direction, it could hurt the brand in the long run, especially with conservative customers who might feel unwelcome. He suggested this could cause a significant drop in sales and market share, as these customers might look for other brands that better match their values.
Many Rumble supporters said they are ready to stop buying from Dunkin’ because the company allegedly refused to appear on the platform.
A Twitter user with over two million followers shared an image showing that # boycottDunkin was the second most popular trend on X last Wednesday. The post got 11,000 retweets and 41,000 likes. Many people also commented on Pavlovski’s original post, agreeing with boycotting Dunkin.’
In his final comments, Hambly used the Dunkin’ Donuts situation as a warning for other businesses. He said companies should focus on their products and services instead of getting involved in politics. Hambly warned that businesses that don’t do this might push customers away and hurt their brand. His main point is that companies should focus on what brings customers together instead of what divides them.
A common mistake for business owners is to trust media articles that suggest everyone supports “wokeness.” Often, these articles are biased, and even if they’re not, every business has its group of customers, some of whom might be more conservative.
And angering these customers comes at a high cost.
While Budweiser is one of the more recent victims of its woke culture, several other companies have also been involved in the controversy.
In 2019, Gillette released a Super Bowl commercial called “The Best Men Can Be.” The ad aimed to tackle issues like toxic masculinity, sexual harassment, and violence. It showed things like cyberbullying, a man touching a woman’s shoulder inappropriately, and men standing up against bad behavior. However, the ad faced heavy criticism from many people, including politicians and opinion blogs. Some Gillette customers even promised to boycott the brand. As a result, Gillette lost $8 billion in value.
Pepsi, Nike, and Coca-Cola have also faced backlash after choosing political sides, which has had disastrous consequences for their bottom lines.
Of course, Dunkin’ can never hope to achieve the level of wokeness embraced by its arch-rival, Starbucks. And they’d be well-advised to stop trying. Conservatives may enjoy coffee, but they want freedom more.
