Fraught

The public increasingly expects companies to take a stand on political matters, but doing so is fraught: It risks alienating consumers who disagree with the position taken. At the same time, companies may pick up support from consumers who share their point of view. New research documents how those dynamics played out for one firm: the Latin foods brand Goya.

In July 2020, CEO Robert Unanue paid a visit to the White House during which he praised President Donald Trump. His comments energized consumers on both ends of the political spectrum, and hashtags such as #goyaway and #BoycottGoya, on the one hand, and #BuyGoya and #BuycottGoya, on the other, began trending on Twitter. Media accounts suggested that sales had dropped significantly, while Unanue said that purchases were up by 1,000%.