CNN: Kellogg's Pays The Price For Firing Michael Phelps

[Turborama]

Run time: 01:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tenCVCa8Y1w   Posted on YouTube: February 26, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 26, 2009 By DU Member: Turborama Views on DU: 2382

 
Dumping Phelps Over Bong Rip Damages Kellogg's Brand Reputation

When Kellogg announced it would not renew its endorsement contract with Olympic medalist Michael Phelps after a photo of the athelete smoking pot surfaced, it may have cost the food company its sterling reputation, reports company reputation index Vanno.

Out of the 5,600 company reputations Vanno monitors, Kellogg ranked ninth before it booted Phelps. Now it's ranked 83. Not even an industry-wide peanut scare inflicted as much damage on the food company's reputation. A Vanno representative put together this chart:

Some interesting comments beneath the story: http://www.businessinsider.com/dumping-phelps-over-bong-rip-damages-kelloggs-brand-reputation-2009-2

http://static.10gen.com/businessinsider/~~/f?id=49a2a6e5796c7a0b00b4e44b

[ihavenobias]

1. I wish *I* had written this on February 9th (talk about a great prediction)

HuffPo Piece Written Feb. 9th:

Notice all of the comments in this thread arguing that the Phelps firing would have NO impact? Some might say an "I told you so" is in order.

;)

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. I have to admit - I didn't think it'd hurt THIS much.

Some, perhaps, but wow... I'm happily shocked.

[hendo]

4. it was still the appropriate thing for them to do NT.

[ihavenobias]

6. Why? What was "appropriate" about it?

President Obama, Bush and Clinton all at least tried pot at some point. The president is THE biggest role model, and he/she has far more influence than a (brilliant) olympic medal winner on a cereal box.

Besides which, the recent surveys show that a huge number of Americans have tried marijuana (42% per the link in the article I posted, although some say that estimate is low). More importantly a HUGE majority think it should be legal in some way (too lazy to link to recent story/video on the topic).

PS---I don't smoke pot BTW.

[hendo]

14. as a family company

actively supporting someone who was stupid enough to be photographed smoking pot would have been a bad idea. In the end it was thier money, and they decided that they no longer wished to be associated with him. I just happen to agree with them on that.

and I don't smoke pot either.

Do I think it should be legal though? Yes. However, it is currently illegal and it would be wrong of them to condone illegal behavior.

[Clintonista2]

31. A "family company"?

No, they're a cereal company. Not a "family company," not a "morality police" company. A cereal company. They can take their own views on morality and shove it.

[dem mba]

33. they're a cereal company that is geared towards families

isn't this obvious? Single 65 year olds typically don't eat Frosted Flakes or even Wheaties, although if I live that long perhaps I'll be one of the few. I can see why Kellogg's would want to keep their distance from Phelps. What if Kellogg's hired a well known convicted pedophile as their national spokesperson, don't you think maybe that would negatively affect sales? So yes, I do think Kellogg's has every right to pick and choose their brand representatives.

Also, this brand ranking seems to be based off of internet users' input, so I really don't think this will have any major long-term affect on the brand. It's a ripple.

[Clintonista2]

35. If they were geared towards families

Then their reputation wouldn't have plummeted so much, would it?

[MrModerate]

38. Every right to pick their spokespeople, sure . . .

But was what they did smart?

And let's be a little real here. Comparing pedophilia to smoking dope? Preposterous. Many, many people believe marijuana should be legal and many many cops decline to bust pot users -- on the direction of their chiefs who would prefer their officers go after real crime. Pedophilia? Condemned by everyone, including most pedophiles!

Kellogs has sent a message that they're unforgiving, cowardly prudes. The smart thing to do would have been to tsk-tsk, acknowledge Phelps' apology, and move on.

[dddem]

40. comparing pot smoking to pedophelia?

With all due respect, this is so not the same thing - very bad analogy.

[immoderate]

7. I think the appropriate thing would have been to ignore it.

Are they selling morality -- or munchies?

--imm

[hendo]

15. so, do they not have the right to spend thier money as they see fit? NT

[immoderate]

17. They have a responsibility to their stockholders.

They are not interested in morality, just image. And it looks like they blew it on that.

--imm

[hendo]

18. Unfortunately we will never know what the backlash would have been had they kept sponsoring him. NT

[immoderate]

22. The backlash against keeping quiet?

What happened to the companies who didn't drop him?

--imm

[backtoblue]

20. why?

What the moral of this whole story should be is -RU ready?- MARIJUANA SMOKER MAKES IT TO THE OLYMPICS, GETS 8 GOLD MEDALS AND MAKES HISTORY. Come on, Phelps is an athlete who I am sure smoked pot BEFORE getting his medals. What, are people afraid to acknowledge that pot isn't that bad?

[Cha]

25. Nah, it was the chickenshit,

coward's way.

[hendo]

29. pardon me

do you work for SAFER?

[Cha]

24. I definetly thought it should

have an impact and hoped it would. I thought about it every time I saw a Kellogg commercial on the tube.

Personally, I haven't eaten mainstream food since the '80s so there was no Kellogg's to ban in mi casa.

[Sequoia]

2. Guess ole Snap, Crackle and Pop are unemployed now.

I'd sure like to see a cartoon with them bemoaning Kellogg's dive. Splash !!!

[VenusRising]

5. It's ranked 86th.

I guess they staked their reputation on the wrong thing.

[rollingrock]

8. I hope they go out of business

God knows what sugary candy crap they put into their cereals to make them appealing to little kids.

[Cheap_Trick]

9. Well, just keep boycotting..maybe you can drive Kelloggs out of business

and put a LOT of people out of work.

Wouldn't that be special.

[mitchtv]

32. Yeah ,and Boycott was gonna hurt good people in

South Africa too. That old warhorse is dragged out anytime the word Boycott is mentioned, because they are effective. Maybe Kelloggs wil renew it's contract and save those jobs it's gonna cost those people

[Cheap_Trick]

34. If we don't get our way, fuck the workers!

That's asinine.

Big difference between trying to put people out of work because Kellogg's has decided who they want to be representing (or not) them and what happened in South Africa.

Here's a newsflash: Not everyone gives a shit when it's 4:20.

[mitchtv]

36. so go eat your refined sugar "cereals"

don't lecture those who aren't buying the BS

[Cheap_Trick]

39. Don't pump that shit into your dumb ass and lecture ME about "sugar"

Now go spark a fatty and endanger the two brain cells you have left, snapperhead.


But you have inspired me. I am going to the store in the morning and buy 10 boxes of Kellog's cereal and donate them to the local food bank.

I can help the hungry AND help keep people employed at the same time.

Thanks for the inspiration, Cheech.

[Seldona]

37. Boycotting one cereal comany doesn't mean you boycott cereal.

There are plenty of other companies to choose from. In fact it just might add jobs when other brands fill the void.

[iamthebandfanman]

10. i think its stupid , BUT i still like kelloggs

they are one of the few corporations who go out and attempt to contribute to communities(even if its small)...
theyve been helping build parks for kids around the country.

[Butch350]

11. That Bong and Phelps photo would look GREAT on the Kellogs Box...

[progressoid]

12. Doubt this hurt their actual sales much.

My guess is a lot of people initially gave them a bad rating but within days returned to buying their products.

They make a LOT of stuff.

All-Bran®
Apple Jacks®
Complete®
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes®
Cracklin’ Oat Bran®
Crispix®
Crunch™
Crunchy Blends®
Eggo® Cereal
Froot Loops®
Frosted Flakes®
Frosted Mini-Wheats®
Fruit Harvest®
Honey Smacks®
Pops®
Product 19®
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran®
Rice Krispies®
Smart Start®
Special K®
Kashi GOLEAN®
Organic Promise®
Good Friends®
Mighty BitesTM
Heart to Heart®
7 Whole Grains
Pop-Tarts®
Pop-Tarts® Toaster Pastries
Kellogg's Go-Tarts!™

Kashi® Chewy Granola Bars
Kashi® GOLEAN® Bars
Kellogg’s® Crunch™ Bars
Kellogg's® Crunchy Nut™
Sweet & Salty Bars
Kellogg’s® Granola Munch’ems
Rice Krispies Treats® Squares
Special K® Bars

All-Bran™ Bars
Nutri-Grain® Cereal Bars
Nutri-Grain® Muffin Bars
Nutri-Grain® Yogurt Bars

Fruit Steamers™
Fruit Twistables™
Kellogg's™ Yogos™

Stretch Island® Fruit Leather

Gripz®
Rite BitesTM
Keebler® Cookies
Chips Deluxe® Cookies
E.L. Fudge® Cookies
Fudge Shoppe® Cookies
Golden Vanilla Wafers® Cookies
Sandies® Cookies
Soft Batch® Cookies
Vienna Fingers® Cookies

Carr’s® Cookies
Famous Amos®
Famous Amos® Cookies
Murray® Cookies
Murray® Sugar Free Cookies

Club® Crackers
Gripz®
Keebler® Grahams
Munch’ems® Baked Snacks
Town House® Crackers
Wheatables® Crackers
Toasteds® Crackers
Zesta® Crackers
Austin® Crackers
Carr’s® Crackers
Cheez-It® Crackers
Sunshine Krispy® Crackers
Kashi® TLCTM Crackers

Worthington®
Loma Linda®
Morningstar Farms® Organic
Eggo®
Kashi GOLEAN Waffles
Morningstar Farms®

Keebler® Graham Crackers Crumbs
Keebler® Cones
Ready Crust® Pie Crust
Kellogg’s® Stuffing Mix
Kellogg’s® Corn Flake Crumbs

[Turborama]

13. Holy crap! That IS a HUGE variety of sugar vehicles!! n/t

:wow:

[progressoid]

16. And Scooby Doo snacks!

Evidently there are a lot more products than I found on their site.

[Quantess]

19. Maybe consumers aren't buying as many carbs these days?

That's a long list of processed carbohydrates.

[Cha]

26. I'd like to think they're not

buying as much crap these days but I'd be wrong.

[arikara]

23. There is nothing on that list that we ever buy

but then we don't use manufactured foods.

Funny how a guy gets fired for smoking pot yet a drunken coke-head chimp can be installed as president and keep his job for 8 years.

[burning rain]

21. It's a stoner backlash, man!

Cereal hits the spot when ya got the munchies, but gettin' rid
of Phelps was so uncool.

[Xicano]

27. I had sent them an email back when this happened

saying how unfortunate it is that Kellogg doesn't understand America's founding principles when it comes to personal liberty in spite of draconian laws. Furthermore that I would no longer purchase Kellogg products until such time as they reinstate Phelps contract and publicly apologizing for rushing to judgment.

Of all people you'd think a food business would try and promote legalizing responsible adult use of marijuana. What could be better for Kellogg than a bunch of stoned customers with the munchies? LOL


:smoke:

[bc3000]

28. I called Kellogg's and told them I would be boycotting their products

I told the representative that I did not appreciate them making a moral judgment on behavior that a very large number of Americans indulge in.

But then I got high... The Special K with the red berries was on a 2 for 1 special... and I'm weak. I love my cereal.

[BeyondGeography]

30. Yay

:smoke:

[dddem]

41. Last week i bought a box of Rice Krispie treats

just because Michael Phelps was on the box.

[Turborama]

43. LOL I hope you've kept it in mint condition, it could be worth some money one day... n/t

[mod mom]

42. I'm sorry I didn't see this in time to recommend it. Glad to hear this.