Good morning, Marketer, hope you’re getting out into the sun!
In January 1964, a group of Atlanta residents wanted to hold a dinner honoring the native son who had won that year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The mayor tried to get business leaders on board but, for some reason, most weren’t interested in having a meal with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Most, but not all. One in particular made his unhappiness known. That one was Robert Woodruff, CEO of a small local firm called Coca-Cola. He threatened to move the company’s HQ to another city if Rev. King wasn’t honored.
Tickets sold out practically overnight.
Woodruff did the right thing at a time when companies were always silent on any issue that could be seen as “controversial.” And white consumers – who were the only ones who mattered at the time – liked it that way. Today that is no longer the case. As our story today points out, people want to know if you are with them or against them. The implications for marketing are huge. Marketers must make sure the C-suite knows silence is no longer an option.
Constantine von Hoffman,
Managing Editor
