Friday, June 05, 2020
PR Headache
A franchisor cannot control the political leanings of franchisees, and this is a case that is giving Wendy's a headache. A major franchisee of the burger chain has donated $500,000 to Trump's re-election campaign. This sparked online hate focused on Wendy's. The company has made it clear it is not to blame. In addition, it is giving a $500,000 donation to social justice organizations. That might not be enough to prevent the ill-informed from boycotting the chain. The company will need to work diligently on social media and in the press to knockdown negative statements and opinions with facts. Some activists will stay away from its restaurants, but it could mollify the majority. Wendy's will know soon enough when sales reports come in. Meanwhile, it must be wishing that its franchisees would be apolitical.
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