Sunday, August 2, 2009

Chrysler and Me


As always, click to enlarge...

Chrysler's response to my request that they redirect advertising dollars from Glenn Beck's program:

Thank you for contacting the Chrysler Customer Assistance Center.


We appreciate the time and effort you have taken to express your concerns to us and we appreciate your feedback with regard to the Fox News program.


In response to your email, we would like to inform you that the advertising that appeared on Mr. Beck?s show was part of a media buy on national news programming that was purchased more than a week before it actually aired.


It is important to recognize there are multitudes of individuals that have different preferences in television programming. Like other companies and auto manufacturers, the brands of Chrysler Group advertise using a wide variety of programming as well as both print and web-based mediums. From trends in popular culture to feedback from both our customers and dealer network, we are constantly evaluating decisions and ideas as they may relate to where future advertising dollars will be committed. We take this approach to reach a diverse and broad audience with information about our products.


Considering these factors, we plan to continue our commitment to advertising on a diverse range of programming. We do this not with the intent to offend, but with an appreciation for diversity in consumer viewing preferences.


Chrysler Group has a long history of supporting America through the innovative products upon which so many people rely. Whether it's long-term product durability, design, utility, or the comfort, convenience and security that is synonymous with our minivans, we are proud of our heritage. As we look forward to the future, we know that

Americans will continue to look to us to provide them with both safe and reliable vehicles to meet their transportation needs.


Thanks again for your email. Your opinion is very important and your dissatisfaction has been noted.

I wrote back:
As a former media buyer, I appreciate the necessity of being politically neutral when purchasing time spots. My quarrel is not with Chrysler purchasing time on Fox; indeed, I simply requested that you redirect future TV advertising slated for Mr. Beck's program to other Fox News programming. Fox has no shortage of conservative commentators who have not called President Obama a racist while they criticize his policies.
I continue to believe characterization of the president as a racist is over the line and should not be supported by Chrysler, a company that has in the past demonstrated social responsibility in many ways. That being said, I renew my request for Chrysler to redirect future advertising dollars away from Mr. Beck to other Fox News programming at least until such time as Mr. Beck offers a sincere apology for his remarks.
Thanks for your consideration,
In fairness to Chrylser, I must add that they wrote the only remotely pertinent response to my request...

I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna cross that river, I'm gonna catch tomorrow now...

9 comments:

PeterPan said...

K:Another remark from someone abroad. Chrysler is talking about heritage? Well – they are just talking about their products. Interesting times we live in anyway. Have you ever read “Roots” by Alex Haley? In 1765 the former english colonies were kidnaping black people from africa to get them to the cotton and tobacco fields of Geoorgia, Virginia, Maryland etc.and treated them like cattle – as slaves. It took 100 hundert years and 16 presidents of the United States until slavery was banned - until the 16th president (Abraham Lincoln) said: "I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. And yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially upon this judgment and feeling." It took another 144 years and 27 more presidents until Mr. Obama became the 44th president while there are still people in the southern states who are are calling black people “niggers” and the Ku Klux Klan is still existing. And now the 44th president is accused of beeing a racist??? Wow! What an offense of justice and history. I whish you good luck, Mr. President – I’ll keep my fingers cross for you to carry on the good work you just started to do.

Annette said...

It is wonderful to get the viewpoint from someone on the outside looking in so to speak... Thank you PeterPan for your perspective.

I have seen others who got basically the same letter from Chrysler. It is the same as I got or close enough..

But as you say at least you got a response from them. So far I haven't gotten anything else back yet, we just have to stay after them.

Thanks again for doing what you have done.

K. said...

Peter:If you haven't seen it, I recommend renting the TV miniseries of Roots. I still shiver when I think of Vic Morrow's overseer!

And you're right: Guys like Glenn Beck give cover to the ugliest impulses in American political like. He should be ashamed of himself, but I doubt he knows what the word means.

Thanks for stopping by again -- we all appreciate the thought and effort you put into your comments.

Annette: As an Errol Flynn character once said, we can but try.

PeterPan said...

You're very wellcome, Annette. Mr. Obama is very popular here too.

And K. thank you too. I personally think guys like this Glenn Beck are just of little importance. What matters is just the possibility to manipulate the public opinion, at least the opinion of kind of maniacs - grist for their hate mills, so to speak.
I think, history tells us how dangerous this can be.
By the way: I got the TV - version of roots on DVD - 6 parts.Thanks for the recommendation anyway.
Oh..I got a question: I'm pretty new with this Blogger stuff - is it possible to upload music into a Post?

Tess Kincaid said...

Glenn Beck was bad enough on CNN, but now that he's on Fox he is completely wacko.

Thanks for your comment at WM. It really is all about the community, isn't it? Yes, the more the merrier!

Ima Wizer said...

Absolutely great letter!

Kathy said...

I'm disappointed to learn that Chrysler was the only company to write you back. As long as companies continue to validate men like Glenn Beck with their advertising dollars and people tune in their shows, we will always have racism, intolerance and stupidity.

I wish people would understand that. Maybe they do but they just don't care because they're cut from the same cloth.

K. said...

Thanks all! I think it's important to hold these guys feet to the fire, both the advertisers and the commentators. I wish MoveOn had stepped in, so there would have been an infrastructure for the protest.

Kathy: Naively, I expected this one to invoke more specific responses. I suspect that there's this arrogant assumption that we the people just don't understand that it's all show biz anyway.

Peter: Drop a note to me via email and I'll tell you what I know about uploading music.

K. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.