Yahoo Finance Kellogg Company (K) Faces Backlash from Breitbart in #DumpKelloggs Campaign
Stock in Kellogg Company (K) is down about 2 percent after the the conservative website Breitbart.com launched a #DumpKelloggs petition in retaliation for the food company pulling their advertising.
It's typical practice for Kellogg to make sure its ads "do not appear on sites that aren't aligned with our values as a company," spokeswoman Kris Charles told the Associated Press. But Breitbart, previously headed by Steve Bannon, a close aide of President-elect Donald Trump, isn't taking that decision lying down.
Breitbart posted an article on its website Wednesday regarding Kellogg's move and its #DumpKelloggs initiative. As of Thursday morning, more than 125,000 people joined the #DumpKelloggs movement, according to the petition.
It said that Kellogg's decision "will make virtually no revenue impact on Breitbart.com," and adds that Kellogg's action is part of a growing battle from "leftist companies" on conservative consumers who, because of their values, helped elect Trump. The post also emphasizes the site's reach at 45 million readers, touts the popularity of its Facebook and Twitter pages and lists a host of Kellogg brands. These brands include Pop-Tarts, Eggo waffles and a wide range of cereals.
"For Kellogg's, an American brand, to blacklist Breitbart News in order to placate left-wing totalitarians is a disgraceful act of cowardice," said Breitbart News editor-in-chief, Alexander Marlow. "Boycotting Breitbart News for presenting mainstream American ideas is an act of discrimination and intense prejudice. If you serve Kellogg's products to your family, you are serving up bigotry at your breakfast table," he added.
Charles told Bloomberg Thursday following the boycott announcement that Kellogg's decision, "had nothing to do with politics."
Though it's receiving the brunt of the backlash, Kellogg isn't the only company that will stop advertising on the website. Both Allstate Corp. ( ALL) and AppNexus have also decided to take down their ads, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Allen Adamson, the former North American chairman of branding firm Landor Associates, tells that the divisive election has affected brands.
"There are dollars to be made on both sides of the divide," he said. "It forces brands to make uncomfortable choices."
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