Target's reputation plummeted
immediately after gay rights activists called for a boycott of the
chain over its support of an anti-gay candidate, and has yet to fully
recover.
According
to Brandweek, Target lost one-third of its BrandIndex score, a
measure of a brand name's buzz, over the course of 10 days in August
when the news first broke. While the retail giant has rebounded some
since, its score remains 14 points lower than in July.
Brandweek says its index “analyzes
the most talked abut brands based on buzz: The scores are based on
weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand.”
The Minnesota-based Target donated
$150,000 to the group MN Forward, an independent political fund
supporting Tom Emmer, the anti-gay Republican nominee for Minnesota
governor. Electronics giant Best Buy also donated money.
Target apologized for the donation but
rejected a request by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's
largest gay rights advocate, to give an equal amount of money to a
pro-gay candidate. HRC
has said it will drop Target and Best Buy from its annual Buying for
Equality Guide.
The
progressive group MoveOn.org has launched ads urging shoppers to
boycott the Minnesota-based retail giant for its $150,000
contribution. The group says corporations should stay out of
politics.
Institutional
shareholders are pressuring Target to rethink its donation policies
to avoid future political stumbles.