It appears some of these corporations haven’t learned their lesson yet. Bud Light experienced considerable losses after it decided to partner with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in order to pander to the “woke” crowd. The company is still reeling from the backlash, and it does not appear it will recover anytime soon. But now, another company has found itself under cultural scrutiny for engaging in similar marketing practices.
Skittles has managed to avoid right-wing boycotts for years as the company has partnered with the LGBTQ community in marketing its products. But now, they are in the crosshairs:
Conservatives online have attempted to make Skittles the latest target for boycotts after the brand released pro-LGBTQ+ packaging in partnership with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
The new packaging is predominantly black and white, with the candy brand’s traditional bright colors reserved for a band of rainbow running across it. Additionally, it features illustrations of various young people, as well as phrases like “Black Trans Lives Matter” and “Joy Is Resistance.”
This is the fourth year that Skittles has partnered with GLAAD, one of the most prominent pro-LGBTQ+ media monitoring groups in the country. Despite that history, this year the campaign ran afoul of a subset of online conservatives opposed to pro-LGBTQ+, especially pro-transgender, messaging from companies and brands. Such messaging has been commonplace for years, but has recently faced increased backlash as conservatives have launched renewed opposition to LGBTQ+ communities.
Right-leaning folks on social media responded to the new packaging with scorn. Some called for boycotting the brand over the issue:
In May, Skittles issued a press release announcing its “limited edition 2023 Pride packs” to preview its new program:
The packs will swap the brand’s signature rainbow for original designs by artists within the LGBTQ+ community. $1 from each pack sold (up to $100,000) will go to GLAAD in support of the organization’s ongoing efforts to work through media to support and increase visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. More details on the full 2023 Pride program will be shared ahead of June, which will include several exciting partnerships and collaborations to support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community.
Under the program, $1 of every pack of Skittles that is sold “will be donated to GLAAD to support and increase visibility for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Could the Mars company, which owns Skittles, suffer the same fate as Anheuser-Busch, which has been forced to sell off some of its brands to make up for its losses? The beer company has lost about $390 million since the Bud Light/Mulvaney backlash broke out, which could signal some difficult times ahead for Skittles if they are given the same treatment.
In this case, Skittles might not be in as much danger as Bud Light. The beer company was a favorite in red states among right-leaning Americans, which is why a boycott in this demographic was so devastating. It is not yet clear how many conservatives and Republicans are snacking on Skittles on a regular basis. The company seems comfortable with the possibility of alienating this swath of potential customers, but it is also possible that they have already run the numbers and found out their losses won’t be as damaging as it would be for Bud Light.
It is also interesting that Skittles is just now gaining this level of attention from the right given that it has participated in these programs for years. This could reflect a growing attitude of resistance against progressive attempts to wokify the nation. The widespread backlash against pushing far-leftist ideas on race, gender identity, and sexuality in the classroom seems to have compounded the issue considerably. Now, folks are more sensitive to efforts – perceived and real – to foist progressive values on their children. At the end of the day, the company’s decision to continue nodding to the woke crowd even in the face of pushback coming from the right further highlights the changing dynamics of corporate America’s relationships with its consumers.