Latest news with #MAGA-themed
USA Today
3 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
BarkBox employee compared Pride to MAGA in leaked memo. The CEO apologized.
BarkBox employee compared Pride to MAGA in leaked memo. The CEO apologized. "I do not agree with the content of the message," BarkBox founder and CEO Matt Meeker said. "It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values and I'm deeply sorry that it happened." Show Caption Hide Caption Organizers say political pressure is motivation to continue celebrating Pride Organizers say political pressure is motivation to continue organizing and celebrating Pride, although some corporate support dwindles. Less than a week into Pride Month, BarkBox is receiving backlash for a leaked memo that compares an LGBTQ+ themed pet collection to the Make America Great Again movement. Now the monthly dog subscription service's CEO is looking to make amends. The memo, shared to Reddit this week, informed a group of employees that the monthly dog subscription service would cease advertisements for its Pride collection, which includes several Pride and rainbow accessories. The memo was shared by one employee to a small group of others, BarkBox confirmed to USA TODAY. "While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people," the memo shared on Reddit reads. "If we wouldn't feel comfortable running a promotion centered around another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it's worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign." BarkBox CEO: 'It wasn't good' In a social media statement shared on June 4, BarkBox founder and CEO Matt Meeker apologized for the leaked memo. "I do not agree with the content of the message," Meeker wrote. "It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values and I'm deeply sorry that it happened." As of June 6, BarkBox's Pride collection was promoted on the BarkBox website. Since the leaked memo, Meeker shared that 100% of the proceeds from the collection will be donated to the LGBTQ resource, Kaleidoscope Youth Center in Columbus, Ohio. DEI: What fueled the Target DEI boycott? The answer may surprise you Pride Month: What are the safest places for gay and trans people? See where your state ranks What else did the BarkBox memo say? "After some thoughtful discussion today with leadership, we've made the decision to pause all paid ads and lifecycle marketing pushes for the Pride kit effective immediately," the memo shared on Reddit begins. "This isn't about backing away from support − it's about tone and ensuring our marketing remains inclusive and welcoming to everyone in our community. Right now, pushing this promo risks unintentionally sending the message that 'we're not for you' to a large portion of our audience," the memo concludes. BarkBox did not confirm when the memo was sent, or by who. What is BarkBox's Pride collection? BarkBox's Pride collection features more than 25 LGBTQ+ themed toys, including a rainbow tug toy, "slay the drag queen" plush and "gaylien," an alien plushy with a T-shirt that reads, "Take me to your leather," a reference to the queer leather community. These items an be added to any BarkBox for an upcharge. A typical BarkBox, which is $24 a month, includes two toys and two treats each month. More Pride Month: Trump's actions on LGBTQ+ issues in Pride Month criticized as 'bullying' by advocates Memo leak follows other national brands moving away from DEI The memo follows a string of companies who have eradicated or pulled back on DEI − diversity, equity and inclusion − programs, including Target, Walmart, Amazon and McDonald's. The DEI rollbacks began after President Donald Trump took office. As soon as he could, the president issued executive orders to dismantle DEI by putting pressure on federal contractors to end "illegal DEI discrimination" and direct federal agencies to draw up lists of companies that should be investigated for their DEI policies. And while Trump has been successful in part during his first 100 days in office, there are still countless major companies publicly backing DEI, including Costco, American Express, Apple and Levi's. Contributing: Jessica Gunn, USA TODAY Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
BarkBox CEO apologizes for leaked message exposing paused Pride ads — but they're still paused
BarkBox's CEO is "deeply sorry" for a leaked message that revealed the company's plans to forgo advertising for its LGBTQ+ Pride collection — but they appear to have followed through on those plans. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The dog product subscription service came under fire earlier this week after a message from an employee was shared on social media, exposing the company's intentions to "pause all paid ads and lifestyle marketing pushes for the Pride kit effective immediately." The author referred to LGBTQ+ existence as "another politically charged symbol," comparing it to being a supporter of Donald Trump. "While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people," the message reads. "If we wouldn't feel comfortable running a promotion centered around another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it's worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign." "Right now, pushing this promo risks unintentionally sending the message that 'we're not for you' to a large portion of our audience," the author concluded. After backlash online — including users unsubscribing and threatening boycotts — CEO Matt Meeker posted a statement on BarkBox's Instagram apologizing for the message. He insisted that "the Pride Collection is still available" and that the company has "no plans to remove them," but did not address the advertising roll back. "I apologize. A few days go, an internal message from a BARK team member was released on social media," Meeker wrote. "The message was disrespectful and hurtful to the LGBTQIA+ community, and as the CEO of BARK, I'm responsible for that. I do not agree with the content of the message. It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values, and I'm deeply sorry that it happened." Meeker added that instead of donating a portion of the profits from the Pride Collection to a "worthy organization," BarkBox would donate "100 percent of the revenue" this year. As of publishing, the Pride Collection does not appear on BarkBox's home page, nor is it listed under the website's "Monthly Themes" tab. There are no posts advertising the collection on the same company Instagram page that Meeker issued his apology on. A spokesperson for BarkBox told The Advocate that the Pride Collection has been advertised on the website "in the yellow banner at the top of the page." An Internet Archive snapshot of the website from yesterday shows no banner, suggesting it was added in the past 24 hours. Collections BarkBox seemingly considers not "politically charged" include cannabis leaf merchandise for the 420 holiday, a "fleshlight" pig in a blanket toy, and a Harry Potter collection — when writer J.K. Rowling has been using her personal profits to fund legal cases tat restricted the rights of transgender people.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
BarkBox CEO apologizes after leaked memo exposes plan to axe ‘politically charged' Pride marketing
BarkBox CEO Matt Meeker apologized after a leaked message from a staffer on Reddit exposed the company's plans to axe marketing for its Pride campaign out of fear it would 'feel more like a political statement.' The subscription service delivers dog toys and treats to customers' door fronts monthly, and has been selling Pride-themed products as optional add-ons for the past four years. 'While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people,' a staffer said in the leaked message. 4 BarkBox sells dog toys and treats in a monthly subscription service. Sergi Alexander The employee argued that if BarkBox wasn't comfortable promoting 'another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it's worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign.' Meeker, who co-founded the $236 million company in 2011, on Wednesday confirmed the leaked message was from a BarkBox employee and issued an apology on the company's Instagram account. 'The message was disrespectful and hurtful to the LGBTQIA+ community, and as the CEO of BARK, I'm responsible for that,' Meeker wrote. 'I do not agree with the content of the message. It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values, and I'm deeply sorry that it happened.' He said BarkBox is still selling Pride-themed dog products on its site, though he did not comment on whether the company killed its marketing push for the collection. BarkBox did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether the marketing campaign was canceled. 4 BarkBox CEO Matt Meeker apologized on Wednesday over the leaked message. REUTERS The company donates a portion of the profits from the collection to an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit each year, Meeker said. It will up that commitment to 100% of the revenue this year, he added. His apology followed swift backlash online from customers and former employees who slammed the message as offensive and hurtful. 'So @barkbox compared being LBGTQ+ to being MAGA, so if you give a f— about queer people, cancel your subscription today!' one user wrote in a post on X. 4 A leaked BarkBox employee message that circulated on Reddit. Reddit Another wrote: 'My former employer paused all marketing on Pride toys and cancelled donating the proceeds to a great org because… *checks notes* … a single bigot doesn't understand how BarkBox works? You literally have to CHOOSE and PAY MORE for the Pride toys.' BarkBox is just the latest company entrenched in a scandal over its marketing of Pride products. Mass boycotts against Target for a Pride collection that included kid's clothing and Bud Light for partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney hurt the company's bottom lines. Pride events taking place this month have seen some major sponsors retreat as they fear retribution from customers and the Trump administration, which has been targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 4 A BarkBox subscription box filled with movie-themed dog toys and treats. BarkBox Longtime sponsors of New York City's Pride March, including Mastercard, Citi, PepsiCo and Nissan, this year chose not to renew the funding. 'This isn't about backing away from support – it's about tone and ensuring our marketing remains inclusive and welcoming to everyone in our community,' the leaked BarkBox message said. 'Right now, pushing this promo risks unintentionally sending the message that 'we're not for you' to a large portion of our audience.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bark Box CEO apologizes for employee's internal message comparing PRIDE collection to MAGA toys
The CEO of BarkBox, Matt Meeker, has apologized after an internal message leaked. The message compared Pride products to hypothetical MAGA items, calling both "politically charged." Meeker called it "disrespectful and hurtful" and said the company has no plans to remove its Pride offerings. The CEO of BarkBox, the company that offers a monthly subscription service for boxes of dog toys and treats, has issued a public apology for a "disrespectful and hurtful" internal message that leaked on social media. A screenshot of the message that circulated on Reddit described the decision to immediately pause paid ads and lifecycle marketing pushes for the company's Pride kit. "While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people," the message reads in part. "If we wouldn't feel comfortable running a promotion centered around another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it's worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign." "Right now, pushing this promo risks unintentionally sending the message that 'we're not for you' to a large portion of our audience," the message concludes. BarkBox confirmed to Business Insider the authenticity of the screenshot. The author of the message is unclear. Founder and CEO Matt Meeker apologized for the "disrespectful and hurtful" message in an Instagram post on Wednesday. "I do not agree with the content of the message. It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values, and I'm deeply sorry that it happened," he said. "We stand by the products," he wrote about the Pride kits, noting that the company had no plans to remove them. While the company has donated a portion of profits from its Pride collection to an organization supporting LGBTQ people in past years, it'll donate 100% of the revenue from the collection this year, he added. The company's Pride collection is available as an optional add-on for BarkBox and Super Chewer subscribers, and has been offered for the past four years. The initial pullback on Pride isn't unique to BarkBox. Some of the biggest retailers in the US have walked back their support for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, with some taking cues from the Trump administration's stance on the matter. Target last year scaled back its Pride Month collection after receiving backlash from conservatives over the merchandise in prior years. In late November, Walmart announced it was ending some of its DEI initiatives and taking down some LGBTQ-related merchandise from its website. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Bark Box CEO apologizes for employee's internal message comparing PRIDE collection to MAGA toys
The CEO of BarkBox, the company that offers a monthly subscription service for boxes of dog toys and treats, has issued a public apology for a "disrespectful and hurtful" internal message that leaked on social media. A screenshot of the message that circulated on Reddit described the decision to immediately pause paid ads and lifecycle marketing pushes for the company's Pride kit. "While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people," the message reads in part. "If we wouldn't feel comfortable running a promotion centered around another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it's worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign." "Right now, pushing this promo risks unintentionally sending the message that 'we're not for you' to a large portion of our audience," the message concludes. BarkBox confirmed to Business Insider the authenticity of the screenshot. The author of the message is unclear. Founder and CEO Matt Meeker apologized for the "disrespectful and hurtful" message in an Instagram post on Wednesday. "I do not agree with the content of the message. It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values, and I'm deeply sorry that it happened," he said. "We stand by the products," he wrote about the Pride kits, noting that the company had no plans to remove them. While the company has donated a portion of profits from its Pride collection to an organization supporting LGBTQ people in past years, it'll donate 100% of the revenue from the collection this year, he added. The company's Pride collection is available as an optional add-on for BarkBox and Super Chewer subscribers, and has been offered for the past four years. The initial pullback on Pride isn't unique to BarkBox. Some of the biggest retailers in the US have walked back their support for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, with some taking cues from the Trump administration's stance on the matter. Target last year scaled back its Pride Month collection after receiving backlash from conservatives over the merchandise in prior years. In late November, Walmart announced it was ending some of its DEI initiatives and taking down some LGBTQ-related merchandise from its website.
