There is an old saying about the definition of insanity: Keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. The folks at Bud Light seemed to have gotten the message from their customers, and have gone back to just trying to sell beer, with a bit of patriotism thrown in for good measure.
But over at Target, it appears as if it is business as usual. The backlash that Target faced back in June during Pride Month over "tuck-friendly" swimwear for kids was not enough for the retail giant to get the message from its customers that marketing the transgender agenda to children was not appropriate. Now Target is back, just in time to insult its Christian customers at Christmastime, and a new marketing hire with the attitude that you will accept the pride-themed merch, and you will like it.
The newest addition to the Target team is Erik Thompson. Thompson goes by the moniker "Gay Cruella" on social media and has been hired as the "Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist and Pride Lead." Thompson may have started as a run-of-the-mill diversity hire, having spent roughly ten years with Target before his new position. His LinkedIn profile which has since been scrubbed also proves that Target has had the LGBT agenda in its marketing crosshairs for a while. The bio states, "Led Target’s 2019 Pride Business & inclusivity strategy to better serve our guests through diverse and inclusive collection offering, & remain as a loyal industry-leading leader within total Pride+ market, establishing brand love and credibility for total Target."
Now, however, Thompson is making no bones about his own personal agenda, which seems at this point to fit right in with Target's. One social media post declared “I Want to Make Art, Artie. And I Want to Make Trouble," tagging "Target Corporate Headquarters." Then there was this gem,
“Time to whip out the Glitter & Hellfire flamethrowers and rip that old world to shreds darlings. Let’s flip that script and rewrite that narrative. This time for ~ALL Guests, ALL Humans & ALL Hearts.”
Thompson may get his wish and make all kinds of trouble, but perhaps not the way Target would like. Back in August, Target announced that quarterly sales had fallen for the first time in six years by 5.4 percent. Vice President John Hulbert tried to blame the lagging sales on theft, stating that theft in Target stores had increased 120 percent in the first five months of 2023. But it was Target's CEO Brian Cornell, during a CNBC interview, who acknowledged there may have been, "negative guest reaction to our pride collection."
After stock prices fell, Cornell also admitted to what he called "emergency" phone calls, instructing senior managers to lighten up on the transgender merchandise. Target may have gone under the radar for a bit. But nothing says Christmas like more pride and transgender merch. This year, Target has rolled out seasonal items such as Pride-themed nutcrackers, a Santa Claus statuette holding a Pride flag wearing a T-shirt that says, "Love is Love." The tamest of the woke items for sale is a black Santa in a wheelchair.
Target wants every customer who shops at Target to feel welcome. What about Christians and those who take the Christmas holiday season and its message very seriously? Erik Thompson's Christmas gift to Target may just come in the form of more falling sales during the busiest time of the year. "Happy Holidays" Target.