In the era of Trump, US companies must navigate a minefield

Yahoo – AFP, Jeremy Tordiman, February 5, 2017

When Starbucks promised to hire 10,000 refugees it faced a boycott call from
US President Donald Trump's supporters (AFP Photo/SAUL LOEB)

Washington (AFP) - Starbucks promises to hire 10,000 refugees? President Donald Trump's supporters call for a boycott. Uber allegedly takes advantage of the president's anti-immigration decree to drum up business? Users unsubscribe from the app en masse.

Trump's election has laid bare the deep divisions of American society, a discord that has forced many businesses to walk a fine line to avoid alienating consumers.

"Companies that were working very hard to stay neutral no longer can," says brand expert Bruce Turkel. "The biggest problem is anything they say can be misinterpreted."

Sportswear manufacturer New Balance, for instance, found itself embroiled in controversy after its CEO Matt LeBretton voiced optimism following the election.

"We feel things are going to move in the right direction," he said in an interview, prompting outrage on Twitter, where users called for a massive boycott of the sneaker company, forcing the brand into damage control.

"From the people who make our shoes to the people who wear them, we believe in acting with the utmost integrity and we welcome all walks of life," the company said.

Beverage giant PepsiCo faced similar backlash from the opposite camp. Two days after the election, the company's CEO Indra Nooyi said her employees "were all in mourning."

"And the question that they're asking, especially those who are not white: Are we safe?" she said.

The retaliation came instantly: "It's probably a good time to pass on the Pepsi products," the conservative site The Gateway Pundit wrote.

Ginni Rometty (2ndL), CEO of IBM, Indra Nooyi (2ndR), CEO of Pepsi Co., and US 

President Donald Trump at a policy and strategy forum at the White House (AFP 

Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

'No margin in the middle'

Calls for boycotts often proliferate on internet forums such as Reddit and 4Chan, as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Others originate from more structured protests.

The Grab Your Wallet site, launched in October, lists companies suspected of favoring Trump, either because their leaders contributed to the real estate billionaire's campaign or because they do business with the Trump family.

The long "boycott" list includes the department store Macy's, retail giant Walmart and beer brand Yuengling.

"Brands have always been political, but now consumers can see more of this activity and are making decisions based on this information," the site's cofounder Shannon Coulter says.

The impact of boycott campaigns is difficult to evaluate, however, because calls to blacklist specific companies tend to get lost in the frenzy of social media.

"Consumers have an incredibly short memory," marketing expert Merry Carole Powers says.

Still, some companies fear losing customers by staying silent. Nordstrom, a chain of department stores, recently announced it would drop the Ivanka Trump clothing line belonging to the president's eldest daughter.

"There's no margin in the middle," says Turkel, who recently wrote the book "All About Them," focused on company branding. "If you stay quiet, you get nothing out of it."

"You have to figure out who your audience is and what are their values."

Uber came under fire for allegedly taking advantage of a New York taxi driver protest 

against an anti-immigration decree, prompting a wave of unsubscriptions (AFP Photo/

Lionel BONAVENTURE)

Super Bowl stakes

Uber appears to be playing by ear as it devises its strategy.

The company first distanced itself from Trump's executive order temporarily barring refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries.

But it then came under fire for allegedly taking advantage of a New York taxi driver protest against the ban, prompting a wave of unsubscriptions. As taxi drivers went on strike refusing to pick up passengers at JFK airport, Uber not only continued to operate but also dropped its surge pricing.

Rival Lyft was quick to set itself apart, vowing to donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed lawsuits against Trump's measures.

The strategy paid off with the Lyft app notching more iPhone downloads than Uber for the first time.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick then attempted to make amends by quitting Trump's business advisory group, saying "the executive order is hurting many people in communities all across America."

And with the approach of the Super Bowl -- one of the advertising world's central events -- every marketing move is facing microscopic scrutiny.

The beer giant Budweiser is slated to air an immigration-themed advertisement focused on the difficulties the brand's German founder faced when he arrived in the United States in the 19th century.

South of the border, consumer trends are less divided.

In Mexico, the campaign "Consumers, the cry of war" is urging people to boycott all American brands in protest against Trump's anti-Mexican threats.

Related Articles:

This google document shows lists Senators alphabetically, noting whether they have opposed or remained silent to the ban, any link or public statement about it and the dates of their next re-election.


"Wild Cards" (3) - Nov 19 - 20, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)- (Text version)

".... The Wild Card of 2016

Remember: No emotion now. You have come from another planet and you’re looking at the end of 2016 – and there is the election. Understand without bias.

So for 2016, let’s do the numerology. You add the numbers and get nine. Nine is completion in simple numerology, and when you see a nine it often means the completion of something. Often it is of a time cycle, an energy or the completion of a paradigm. But it’s very strong.

The nines are stronger than many of the other numerological aspects and you feel them. The president-elect (at this writing) is a strong wild card. He is scheduled to become the 45th president. What a coincidence! Forty-five is a nine. A nine and a nine together are more than significant. They tell a story about what is happening. I will tell you something else. This story is not finished yet and there is more coming. You don’t know what you don’t know, so don’t make up your mind in advance about any outcomes. You’re from another planet, remember? There’s no emotion, no bias, no politics and nothing to judge. Look at it for what it is.

A big stick has just been inserted into what is normal and it’s going to be turned. As the big stick turns, other things will respond that never would have responded otherwise. I wish to tell you, dear one, old soul, relax with upcoming wild cards. They do what they do on purpose so that you will have a better civilization in the future. Sometimes they show you what won’t work, and sometimes they change paradigms that would have never changed otherwise. But what you have now is a profound wild card. That is the message.

It’s so common for you to respond certain ways when you are invested in the process. The knee-jerk reaction is expected or you wouldn’t be a Human. However, for this lesson, you’re from another planet and you’re looking down and you’re seeing it. Pretend.

Isn’t that interesting about a nine and a nine together? It means that truly the end of something is here. Perhaps it’s the end of the old way things were done? Perhaps it’s a shake-up of the system so it can correct itself? Don’t dare make up your mind where it’s going, because it’s not finished yet. However, wait a moment. Did you also realize that 2017 is a “one” year? Not only is the energy one of completion with a double nine, but it moves into “a new beginning” (the definition of a one in numerology).

I have more to tell you about numerology, and also something that will be clearer about this whole situation. I will give this to you in the next channelling.

Can you relax in the face of uncertainty when it’s your own country? Can you relax in the face of not knowing what’s next? When you’re so involved, can you disengage from either side of the fray? That is the test of a Lightworker.

There’s something else coming. Dear ones, this is beautiful. No matter what you think and no matter what your reaction is to this channelling, what is happening is correct for your time and needed for your immediate future. I will speak of this later. The beauty is when you step away and see how grand it is, that Spirit cares enough that it would allow a big stick to occur that would stir your complacency at this time. The real reason? The shift is here.

How do you feel? I want you to relax and smile at what the shift has brought you. For those of you who felt all the “shift talk” was nonsense, this may be your wake-up call. It’s real. Here it comes.

This is the message of the day. I am Kryon, in love with humanity, and for good reason.

And so it is.

KRYON

"The Field Part Two" - Aug 7, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - ("The Field" - Text version)

"... Interaction with Others

There's another attribute as well. This is difficult to talk about because it has to do with Human nature, personality, old bad habits and fears. It's personal, but necessary to bring forward. Let me ask you: For anyone listening or reading right now, how do you talk to others? What's the natural, neutral point? I'm asking the audience who is listening and reading now. Perhaps you would say, "Well, I have to be a little forceful to get what I need because I live in a difficult place. So I approach things perhaps with a little more aggressiveness than most people do." I would ask you this question, "Does that mean you are unkind to them?" The response: "Well, I don't mean to be, but sometimes they say I am. But this is the only way I can get what I need." And I say, "Really?"

Something is going to happen soon, and I want to tell you what it is because of The Field. Dear ones, for many years I have said that within this new energy there can be no more fence-sitting. What I mean by this is that you cannot claim to be one thing and then go out and be another. This has many names, but the fence-sitter is the best. For example, you like my message, but you don't want to necessarily commit to these esoteric things when the channel is over.

How do you treat the server who comes to your table when you have dinner? Is this person a servant or family? How do you treat those on the road who cut you off? What do you say about others when they're not present? Now, you might say, "Well, that's good advice. Thank you Kryon. I'll be more kind." That's not what I'm telling you. I would like to tell you that there is something going on. You see, The Field wants harmony. It tries to put things together and it's starting to increase its effect. "What?" you might ask. "How can physics 'want' anything?" Water runs downhill. Does physics want that? Not on a conscious level. It creates it due to the law of gravity. What if there are also additional laws of harmony? What if harshness creates unwanted results? Stay with me.

The Field is all around you. You listen to Kryon perhaps, and you've been to esoteric meetings perhaps. You've heard everything that I have had to say about the beauty of compassion and how you're moving into the age of compassion. You've even heard what compassionate action means. You listen and you listen, nodding your head, then you go out and do whatever you want to.

When somebody is not pleasing to you, you're unkind to them. The reason? Habit. It's the only way you've lived before. Perhaps insulting people and being harsh gets you results, and that works for you? For you, it's just the way of it. Then you'll come back to our meeting, listen to Kryon, and feel very good. You're very spiritual until you leave the meeting. Then the habit continues. This isn't going to work anymore, at all. Let me tell you why.

Dear ones, The Field wants to create harmony and put things together. If The Field cannot put things together, things become more unbalanced than ever. If water can't flow downhill in a groove, it spills over into places and it creates floods and destruction. How would you like to age faster and die quicker? If that's what you want, then continue, fence-sitter, because you're very cellular structure will be pushed by The Field towards harmony, which you reject due to your habits. That rejection creates unbalance in your chemistry. That will result in unbalance in your personality. There is still another attribute for this unbalance, and some of you will feel it and wonder why you're so tired all the time. Are you somehow fence-sitting?

This is so profound, yet many of you don't even know it's happening. I will tell you that the ones who have learned compassion will live a lot longer. Right now, things are happening that we told you might happen if you passed the marker. When I got here 26 years ago, I told you to expect some of these things and now they're happening. One of them is this: You cannot sit on the fence. You either are connected in some way to Spirit with intent or you're not. You can't pretend, because your body knows.

Dear ones, this is not a punishment, but rather a balance within a physical system. It's a system of beauty. It wants to harmonize that which you do, and it's a very benevolent system. There are those who say, "Well Kryon, I hear you. I'd like to do this; I'd like to harmonize more but I've had a whole life of this habit. It's just the way I work. What can I do?" Here's what I want to tell you: With this new energy comes a much higher reaction to a certain given consciousness. Your intent and affirmations to change into a more compassionate person can work miracles. Let your body hear it and The Field will hear it. Your intent is energy. The Field is energy. This is physics, and The Field will help this process for you. It's going to be the wind behind your back and you're going to find yourself thinking about things differently, looking at others differently, using different words, and changing your habit.

Many are even reporting that they have more energy due to this refreshing change. You're going to feel your cellular structure healing when it never did before. Sores on your body will heal up faster, did you know that? This is real. Hair will grow faster, nails will grow faster. The reason? Because there is a harmony here that hasn't been here for a very long time. You are creating a groove for the water that was never there before. How would you like to take everything that I've said through the years and finally apply it to your persona so that you become a more compassionate person and slower to anger? All of this is possible because The Field is on your side. Think of it as a magnificent angelic presence that is ready to help you with everything that you're asking to become - more compassionate, more master-like.

I already told you the results, and it's not just that you're going to live longer. People will notice your shift, people directly around you. If you're young enough, your children will notice. May I say, even your animals will notice! They'll come to you when they didn't before, because now you emanate peace on the patterning of your Merkabah, a multidimensional patterning that is totally different than the pattern it was before. Animals can sense this. No anger, very little drama, a peaceful countenance - you actually invite compassion!

Dear ones, I would not give you this information if it were not so. I want you to get ready for more of this. It's starting to happen everywhere on the planet, but especially I speak to old souls who are fence-sitters and wish to change. Come and enjoy the energy! You will find that the results of new compassion on others is far grander than the results of what your old habit was able to do.

It's time to come to alignment with the creative source, which is an energy of awakening all through your body. It is here for you and always has been. The easiest thing you can do is to relax and find the compassion that has always been there. These are the things that I wished to tell you today. These are the things that need to be said. This is what is happening within the shift. You're going to see it in so many ways, and you can watch it as well, for even those on the planet who are not invested in spirituality will have some similar results by applying compassion.

Listen, dear ones, old energy and dark ways will be with you for a long time, trying to re-establish themselves. Some will even tell you that you should NOT be a kind person. They will tell you that kindness is weakness, and ask you, "Do you want to be weak?" It's an old ploy to trick you into going backwards into the ways of the past, and many will buy into it. What are the results?

Those who are unkind will bring unkindness; they will bring unbalance; they will manifest their own demise. Those who are gracious and compassionate will attract that which is beautiful, and it works. Watch for it. Also, watch for the tricksters, for there is still a battle. It used to be that how you acted was neutral on this planet. Not now. There are those who would ask, "How could that person exist and be so ugly to other people? How can they sleep at night?" You've heard that before. Well, I'm going to tell you something. Those days are over and they won't sleep at night. They will create their own eventual demise. There are situations coming up that will show you this very thing.

Here's the payoff: There's more light on this planet than ever before. It creates several things, and we have said it before. Watch for the darkness to fight you like never before, and watch for The Field of harmony to invade everything. It's almost like the beauty of Mother Nature is starting to affect humanity as well. The Field will try to create symbiotic systems that work together with compassion and beauty. It's going to change Human nature and we've said that before as well. Hang in there, old soul, and expect good things no matter what you see or expected in the past.

I am Kryon, in love with humanity, congratulating you on your part of the shift.

And so it is. 

KRYON