I am sure most individuals here have heard the adage of "Vote with your wallet" which would imply that consumers are the ones with all the real power. However, given our current politically correct climate, I wonder if that is true. When you consider that consumers are often ignored unless the backlash is immense, vast, and persistent.
This is then compounded by the fact that most companies acquiesce to a minority on social media. And for the Coup De Grace, the individuals they listen to do not reward them with a hefty profit. So, why do they keep self-sabotaging themselves?
I put it down to the following:-
- The fallacy of the mythical “wider audience” (i.e., attempting to drum up extra business by way of appeasing a negligible or even non-existent audience at the risk of alienating the established audience)
- To distract the public from a new or ongoing controversy in which they are embroiled in the interest of public perception, protection of image, self-interest, and saving themselves a prolonged headache
- Scrambling to loudly and not-quite-proudly wave the flag of the cause of the day as an act of self-preservation, lest they find themselves in the crosshairs
- Appearing attractive to advertisers and investors who, themselves, are fearful of running the risk of receiving backlash from the outrage mob for being associated with anyone or anything that might draw their ire
- Ideological rot has spread throughout at an alarming rate - from the very bottom right to the tippy top - such that the chance of the output being tainted is exceedingly high
- Receiving favourable coverage and avoiding negative coverage from the press (in spite of the irrelevancy and clear bias of and wide distrust in said press)
Or: performance, preaching, protection, profit, and damage control.