Pasta Company PR Crisis

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**hotsauceman1**

Sometimes boycotts work
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-barilla-pasta-boycott-20130927,0,1652350.story

When pasta king Guido Barilla found himself pilloried on social media for saying he would never use a gay family in his advertising, rival pasta maker Buitoni was quick to capitalise.

A picture on its Facebook page from the inside of an open door featured the caption: “At Buitoni's house, there's a place for everyone.”

It was a stark demonstration of the rising power of social media; Barilla's comments to a medium-sized Italian radio station on Wednesday quickly became a global public relations disaster with a likely knock-on effect on sales.

The comments that he would “never” do an ad “with a homosexual family” to a station that has barely more than 2 million daily listeners spread like wildfire on Twitter and Facebook, sparking worldwide calls to boycott Barilla products on Thursday.

In his official apology, Barilla said he was sorry “if my words generated misunderstandings and polemics” and “if I offended some people”. He said he was trying to say “simply that the woman plays a central role in a family”.

The comments will weigh on U.S. sales in the short term, and Barilla's immediate response to the uproar was “muddled and odd”, Ashley McCown, a crisis communications expert at Solomon McCown in Boston, told Reuters.

“In the U.S. people want to feel good about the things they buy and who they buy them from.”

The privately owned Barilla company was founded by Guido's great grandfather more than 130 years ago and is the world's biggest pasta maker.

Seeking to boost sales outside of crisis-hit Italy, Barilla has recently focused on expanding in the U.S., its second biggest pasta market, by introducing microwaveable meals and more ready-made sauces.

His radio comments came after the interviewer asked him about allegations this week from Laura Boldrini, president of the lower house of parliament, that Italian advertising was full of gender stereotyping.

Barilla, whose ads often picture mothers serving their families at the dinner table, disagreed, and was then asked whether he would feature a gay family.

After saying he would not, he spoke at length about his belief in the “classic family”, adding however that he supported gay marriage, which is illegal in Italy, but not adoptions by gay couples.

In the U.S., gay marriage is now legal in 13 states and, unlike in Italy, the gay rights movement continues to build momentum and break down barriers.

“I'm Italian, I'm gay, I'm married legally to a man, I have three adopted children. I had Barilla pasta for dinner last night. Today, tomorrow and forever more I will choose another brand of pasta. Good bye Barilla! You lose!!!” David De Maria wrote on Barilla's U.S. Facebook page.

SPAGHETTI IS STRAIGHT

The controversy generated several Internet satires. BuzzFeed featured a picture showing heterosexual couples lovingly eating pasta together with the words: “Spaghetti is straight”.

Another image posted widely on Twitter and Facebook showed the trademark blue Barilla pasta box with the letters “Bigotoni” on it, rather than “Rigatoni”.

While Barilla's comments were condemned by most, others said the gay community was over-reacting.

“We may not agree with him but he is just expressing his opinion and doing it in a respectful way,” said JasonD79, who said he was gay, in reaction to a news story on Facebook. “He is not saying gays can't work for them or anything, he is just saying he will not do an ad with a gay family.”

After its first apology, Barilla posted a second, more contrite version on its U.S. Facebook page several hours later that recognised that it may have offended some of its own employees.

“While we can't undo recent remarks, we can apologise. To all of our friends, family, employees, and partners that we have hurt or offended, we are deeply sorry,” it read.

Only time will tell how much the boycott will hurt Barilla, which saw profit tumble 21 percent in 2012.

“In the short term, it is a threat to sales. What's yet to be seen is, is there really going to be a long-term impact'” McCown said.

First guys name is Guido and runs a pasta company? How are we sure he isnt in the mafia
Second, The idea that a women has to play a central role in a family is not just in insult to homosexual couples, but single dads.
Third
Thi is bertollis response

**Mr. Burning**

Mama Mia!

It's a pasta disaster!

**Seaward**

I buy my pasta based on which one I believe tastes best out of the available options. Same with my chicken sandwiches.

**Dreadclaw69**

Seaward wrote:
I buy my pasta based on which one I believe tastes best out of the available options. Same with my chicken sandwiches.

Pretty much. I may not like what a person says, but so long as it is legal that person has a right to say it

**cincydooley**

And your title is completely misleading. He didn't bash homosexual couples at all. He said he believed in the "traditional" family in their advertising. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Especially since he said he was for gay marriage.

**Seaward**

cincydooley wrote:
And your title is completely misleading. He didn't bash homosexual couples at all. He said he believed in the "traditional" family in their advertising. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

That's more than enough to make him a monster to people with an agenda.

**Scrabb**

This is a poor example of discrimination against homosexuals.

The guy was pressured about using same sex adds, gave a non-answer, was pressed and admitted he would not ever use same sex couples in an ad.

What is anti gay about wanting to be a pasta company that is not embroiled in a controversy that costs customers no matter which way you swing?

Of course, he chose to actually give a real answer instead of lying or ignoring people. Now he's getting crucified.

**Palindrome**

Seaward wrote:

That's more than enough to make him a monster to people with an agenda.

Someone with an agenda in OT? Surely not......

**Kilkrazy**

Storm in a tea cup.

What is anti-gay about banning gay people from your company's adverts?

**Ensis Ferrae**

Kilkrazy wrote:
Storm in a tea cup.

What is anti-gay about banning gay people from your company's adverts?

Its not so much banning... rather he is refusing to show them in his adverts. If he were banning them, he'd probably have said something to the effect of he'd rather they not buy his product.

**cincydooley**

So what's wrong with that? He maintained that his company believes in the traditional family unit for their advertising. Hardly surprising from a Italian company that probably has some Catholicism in the family tree.....

**Ensis Ferrae**

cincydooley wrote:
So what's wrong with that? He maintained that his company believes in the traditional family unit for their advertising. Hardly surprising from a Italian company that probably has some Catholicism in the family tree.....

Is it wrong of me to hope and pray that the CEO of Starbucks says something similar?

**Grimtuff**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
cincydooley wrote:
So what's wrong with that? He maintained that his company believes in the traditional family unit for their advertising. Hardly surprising from a Italian company that probably has some Catholicism in the family tree.....

Is it wrong of me to hope and pray that the CEO of Starbucks says something similar?

Why? (And, yes, I know I'm agreeing with Cincy here. What gives..?)

I believe homosexuals are deserving of their rights, being equal and all that. They are just as much of a human being as anyone on Earth.

But I'm getting tired of this media witch hunt that goes on every time some CEO or company voices their opinion about homosexuals. It's their opinion. Deal with it. You can bully them into "apologizing" and backtracking while gritting their teeth, but it doesn't do anything to help homosexuals in any way, and it's not even an honest apology or realization. What this witch hunt does, is reinforce the animosity any homophobe holds against homosexuals, reinforcing their ignorant belief's and just ultimately sweeping the issue under a big rug. Beating on the big guy because he doesn't like gays won't make him learn to love them.

**hotsauceman1**

Its their opinion, But it is also our opinion. They, as head of companies, should realize that they should not say stupid gak.

**Grimtuff**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Its their opinion, But it is also our opinion. They, as head of companies, should realize that they should not say stupid gak.

Why is it stupid to say he prefers a traditional family on his pasta boxes and/or in adverts? His words have been twisted like the Fusilli his company makes.

**hotsauceman1**

Because it implies that homosexuals cannot be part of a traditional family, And the the traditional family is the only right way.

**cincydooley**

But it isn't stupid. At all. I don't know when it became a bad thing to believe in the traditional family, but it has, and it's a ridiculously politically correct double standard.

The dude said he's for gay marriage. I'm for gay marriage. Let everyone have equal protection under the law.

But come on, it's not like homosexual couples can have kids on their own. It's biologically impossible. Many people that believe in the importance of the traditional family unit cite this as the very reason for doing so.

To demonize people for believing this is utterly hypocritical.

**djones520**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Its their opinion, But it is also our opinion. They, as head of companies, should realize that they should not say stupid gak.

So they should have lied after being badgered to answer the question? Would that have made you feel better? His remarks where clear that he feels homosexuals have every right to live as they see fit, but he also felt that in advertising for his company he felt it best to stick to the traditional definition of marriage, instead of pandering to a minority. He didn't tell gays to go eat someone elses pasta. He just made it clear that he understood that his remarks would cause exactly what happened, and people were free to choose other brands if they wished to.

Tell me, what is stupid about that?

**cincydooley**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Because it implies that homosexuals cannot be part of a traditional family, And the the traditional family is the only right way.

Homosexuals cannot create the "traditional family unit". It's impossible.

**djones520**

cincydooley wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
Because it implies that homosexuals cannot be part of a traditional family, And the the traditional family is the only right way.

Homosexuals cannot create the "traditional family unit". It's impossible.

Exactly. They can make a family unit, no denying that. But two men/women adopting children is not "traditional" in any sense of the word.

**Grimtuff**

djones520 wrote:
cincydooley wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
Because it implies that homosexuals cannot be part of a traditional family, And the the traditional family is the only right way.

Homosexuals cannot create the "traditional family unit". It's impossible.

Exactly. They can make a family unit, no denying that. But two men/women adopting children is not "traditional" in any sense of the word.

This.

I can say pretty confidently that if you ask anyone what the traditional social construct of a "nuclear family" is, the answer will be husband and wife with 2.4 children from the majority of people.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Grimtuff wrote:

Why? (And, yes, I know I'm agreeing with Cincy here. What gives..?)

I believe homosexuals are deserving of their rights, being equal and all that. They are just as much of a human being as anyone on Earth.

But I'm getting tired of this media witch hunt that goes on every time some CEO or company voices their opinion about homosexuals. It's their opinion. Deal with it. You can bully them into "apologizing" and backtracking while gritting their teeth, but it doesn't do anything to help homosexuals in any way, and it's not even an honest apology or realization. What this witch hunt does, is reinforce the animosity any homophobe holds against homosexuals, reinforcing their ignorant belief's and just ultimately sweeping the issue under a big rug. Beating on the big guy because he doesn't like gays won't make him learn to love them.

Lol, I was saying that because I want to see people start boycotting Starbucks

And for the record, he is on record in supporting gay marriage, he just will not use same sex couples in commercials. To me this is about as much an issue as the weather calling for rain, which is to say, it's a total non-issue for me.

**cincydooley**

I think if Starbucks did that they'd lose about a 1/3 of their employees and at a solid 50% or their consumer base. At the very least. :-P

**Ouze**

Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Seaward wrote:
I buy my pasta based on which one I believe tastes best out of the available options. Same with my chicken sandwiches.

Pretty much. I may not like what a person says, but so long as it is legal that person has a right to say it

Just as the purchasing public has the right to not subsidize that opinion with their buying dollars. Free speech doesn't mean freedom from all consequences, as people seemed to think back during the Chik-Fil-A thing. Not here, speaking in generality.

That being said, I already don't buy Barilla because Barilla reliably costs 3x as much as generic and durum semolina is durum semolina - there should not be any taste difference between any brand of 100% semolina pasta. For sauce though, I'm a Classico man. 4 cheese all the way.

I don't think what he said was worthy of a boycott, exactly, and certainly not after he apologized - twice. I also think the headline is clearly not a match for what he actually said.

**yellowfever**

last I checked in america we still have freedom of speech. So ill tell anyone I don't like homosexuality. I wouldn't apologize for voicing my opinion when someone asked for it. When did then trend of "if you don't gays your automaticly a bad person" start.

**Ouze**

freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences

freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences

freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences

Freedom of Speech guarantees freedom from government reprisals from you engaging in said protected speech. In other words, if you say Obama is history's greatest monster*, you won't be arrested and jailed.

That doesn't apply to free market reprisals from non government actors. If you are selling a thing and say something the buying public doesn't like, you can't say "free speech lol" and have a free pass. You have the right to say what you want just as they have the right not to support you with their dollars. You already know this because while there is no law that prevents you from telling your boss just how ugly you find him or her, you don't do so because you'd be fired.

*FACT

**Frazzled**

cincydooley wrote:
So what's wrong with that? He maintained that his company believes in the traditional family unit for their advertising. Hardly surprising from a Italian company that probably has some Catholicism in the family tree.....

Aren't speghetti commercials about the speghetti? I'm confused, yet strangely hungry.

**d-usa**

If people don't want to buy the pasta because the company doesn't want gays in their ads, then the other companies that are willing to feature gays in their ads will benefit.

This is like the reverse case of the Cheerios commercial earlier this year.

**Andrew1975**

They didn't bash Homosexuals. Basically what they said is they didn't want to be labeled "The Gay Pasta Company".

Talk about outing somebody?

I saw a similar article, that basically said "Barilla President says gays should find another pasta." Nowhere did he say that.

Why is sexuality even a part of the pasta business anyway? Which when I think about it .....maybe that's what he should have said. Just given a none answer.

**Seaward**

d-usa wrote:
If people don't want to buy the pasta because the company doesn't want gays in their ads, then the other companies that are willing to feature gays in their ads will benefit.

This is like the reverse case of the Cheerios commercial earlier this year.

And equally as dumb.