Marks and Spencer: An LGBT sandwich?
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2025 2:47 am
Digital marketing consultancy Econsultancy wrote an article on “5 Things Brands Can Learn From the Failure of Race Together .” They concluded that the campaign’s failure can be attributed in part to its poor timing. “In the wake of high-profile incidents involving race, recent polls have found that Americans are more pessimistic about race relations than in other decades. While brands like Starbucks can see that as an opportunity to contribute to positive change, they should also consider that timing can influence how a message is received. A good message poorly timed can be just as poorly received as a bad message.”
Marks and Spencer has faced criticism on social media after launching an “LGBT+ sandwich”. The sandwich, filled with lettuce, guacamole, bacon and tomato (to comply with t peru mobile database he LGBT acronym) came in rainbow-coloured packaging. The supermarket launched the sandwich to raise funds for the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), a charity dedicated to helping homeless LGBT+ youth, and BeLong to Youth Services, an organisation supporting LGBT+ youth in Ireland. However, many felt it was trivialising Pride to launch such a symbolic product, and were mercilessly mocked on social media.
Can woke marketing be done well?
In 2016, Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company, decided to give all of its Black Friday profits to environmental groups working to combat climate change. The impact was astonishing: they increased sales by $10 million, which is a 300% increase over the previous year. CEO Yvon Chouinard said, “It cost us a ton of money because it was all revenue. But 60 percent of the customers were new buyers. Sixty percent. It was one of the best business things we’ve ever done.” The key is in the last word: done, not said.
Marks and Spencer has faced criticism on social media after launching an “LGBT+ sandwich”. The sandwich, filled with lettuce, guacamole, bacon and tomato (to comply with t peru mobile database he LGBT acronym) came in rainbow-coloured packaging. The supermarket launched the sandwich to raise funds for the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), a charity dedicated to helping homeless LGBT+ youth, and BeLong to Youth Services, an organisation supporting LGBT+ youth in Ireland. However, many felt it was trivialising Pride to launch such a symbolic product, and were mercilessly mocked on social media.
Can woke marketing be done well?
In 2016, Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company, decided to give all of its Black Friday profits to environmental groups working to combat climate change. The impact was astonishing: they increased sales by $10 million, which is a 300% increase over the previous year. CEO Yvon Chouinard said, “It cost us a ton of money because it was all revenue. But 60 percent of the customers were new buyers. Sixty percent. It was one of the best business things we’ve ever done.” The key is in the last word: done, not said.