A prominent American company makes a decision to pull its advertising from TLC’s “All-American Muslim” TV program, and liberal organizations, such as MoveOn.org, have a fit. They’ve accused Lowe’s of “bigotry”. But might there be another reason for Lowe’s decision?
Businesses exist to make a profit—and that’s a good thing. That’s what keeps them afloat. They can’t continue selling goods and services, maintaining employees, and expanding without profiting from what they provide consumers. Advertising is a major component to that. Businesses spend a little money on advertising, hoping it will yield more money in sales. If a company spends more on advertising than is recoups in sales, something is wrong.
Lowe’s is a home improvement store. They sell tools, hardware, building supplies, and other things people need for construction and home repairs. When they advertise, they want to advertise to the people who are most likely to shop at their store—that is, people who are more inclined to do their own home repairs. Some of TLC’s programming relates to home improvement, teaching viewers the fundamentals of construction, repair, and decoration. It makes sense for Lowe’s to advertise on those programs; the people who watch them are more likely to shop at a store like Lowe’s when they’re ready to tackle home projects of their own.
By contrast, “All-American Muslim” really has nothing to do with home improvement. There’s no guarantee that a large percentage of its viewers are going to be into “DIY” techniques. That means if Lowe’s spends money to advertise during its time-slot, it’s less likely they will recoup that money in sales. With that in mind—and considering the current state of our economy—it makes sense that Lowe’s would want to cut back on advertising during programming that isn’t related to the products they sell.
If Lowe’s (or any company, for that matter) decides that it wants to pull its advertising from a TV show, what’s more believable: That it was motivated by “bigotry” or that it was motivated by dollars and cents? Being branded as a bigot is a good way for companies to lose business fast. I doubt the folks at the helm over at Lowe’s are that foolish. To me, the more likely answer is that it was a purely financial decision. Nothing more.
Betty Ratcliffe