Can we make a difference when we put to use the power granted us by our consumer dollars? Maybe so. State Farm Insurance, "outed" yesterday by MediaMatters and DailyKos TV as a sponsor of Glenn Beck's nutty and dangerous hatemongering, say they are taking a different path, and it feels great to have, just maybe, made a difference! Follow me below for the details.
I've been a State Farm customer for years, both car and home insurance. So I was dismayed yesterday to see them listed as an advertiser on Beck's loony hatefest. So I said, what the hell? (Thank goodness for a slow day at work to give me the time to pursue this!) I fired off the following email to my local State Farm rep:
As you know, I have both car and home insurance with State Farm, and I have a serious concern. I just learned that State Farm Insurance is a corporate sponsor of Glenn Beck, the conservative radio/talk show host who in recent months has, in my view, been taking the plunge off the deep end of extremist hate speech, hoping to take as many people as he can along with him. I am working to be more of an activist consumer, using my consumer dollars for the power they have to promote what I consider to be sensible and sane public conversations, something that Mr. Beck is clearly antithetically opposed to.
So, please convey this message on to the main offices of State Farm for me:
I will move my multiple insurances to another company if State Farm does not pull its advertising from the Glenn Beck show.
To his credit, my representative wrote back quickly, expressing dismay that State Farm might have strayed from its policy of never advertising on political programming, and promising to pass my concern along.
And by the end of the day: Success! I received the following email:
I want to apologize to you for State Farm's recent advertisement that accidently ended up on the Glenn Beck program. It was not our design to have an advertisement on any political program. Below, I have included some text from a Public Affairs Specialist from State Farm about this incident:
_________________________________________
In response to inquiries concerning State Farm's recent advertisements in the Glenn Beck program, I want to clarify this situation.
We have a policy of not advertising on political or opinion programming. We have corrected this issue and have taken steps to make sure it does not happen again.
Understanding our millions of customers and thousands of associates hold a full spectrum of views on political issues, State Farm has a long-standing practice of not advertising in political discussion programming regardless of a program's political point of view.
Because of the recent situation, State Farm is now evaluating its commercial placement practices to ensure its political issues advertising guidelines are maintained.
Phil Supple
Public Affairs
State Farm Insurance
__________________________________________________
Again, we believe we have the situation resolved so that you will not hear any further advertisements on a political program. I certainly appreciate your feedback on this situation. We value you as a State Farm client and I hope that you accept my apologies for this event.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any further concerns about this issue. _______________________________________
Greg Dorsey, CPCU, CLU, ChFC
Agency Field Executive
State Farm Insurance Companies ®
Bloomington, IN
Office: 812-323-2378
Wow! Just think! A statement from a real, bonified "Public Affairs Specialist!" Well, I wax sarcastic somewhat, but it was gratifying.
I responded both appreciatively and skeptically, especially about the assertion that the advertising on Mr. Wacko's show occurred "accidentally." (Really? Corporations spend their advertising dollars inadvertently? Do tell! And if it was an accident, why do advertising practices need to be reviewed systematically in relation to policies?)
Anyway, the lesson? Obvious. Take what a consumer-driven capitalist society gives us and do something with it to affect change, when dangerous lunatics like Beck work so hard to poison what remains of our public discourse!