A senior official in the British government has warned business to stop pivoting toward wokeism and appeasing their customers' social consciousness.
British Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen issued this warning during an interview with the London-based think tank Bright Blue. His remarks came at the heels of American beer brand Bud Light's parent company Anheuser-Busch suffering the effects of a boycott because of the brand's partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
"I'm uncomfortable, instinctively, to see big businesses appropriating the views of their customers to make a political point," Glen told the think tank. "If they want to get into politics, then [they should] stand for election."
"We've seen what can happen in recent months. Think of that U.S. beer brand, where consumers reacted rather differently than [what] was anticipated," he continued, referencing the Bud Light fiasco across the pond. (Related: Americans tell CEOs: Drop the 'woke' and get back to business.)
The U.K. treasury official's remarks also followed the "de-banking" of prominent Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage by Coutts, which is under the NatWest Group. The financial institution allegedly terminated Farage's accounts for his opposition to woke ideology and friendship with former U.S. President Donald Trump. The de-banking experienced by Farage triggered a swift backlash against British banks and forced then-Coutts CEO Alison Rose to step down.
Costa Coffee, Dr. Martens under fire for pushing woke trans propaganda
Glen's warning against wokeism also followed two British companies, Costa Coffee and Dr. Martens, pushing transgender propaganda in their ad campaigns instead of focusing on business.
The well-known coffee chain faced backlash for a mural featuring a transgender person with mastectomy scars. According to Costa Coffee, the said mural "showcases and celebrates inclusivity." But critics begged to differ, as the mural was denounced for "sending the wrong message to young girls" and "glamorizing a surgical procedure."
Meanwhile, the footwear brand caught flak for a pink figure illustrated on a pair of the company's iconic boots. The figure, who appears to be waving its large hairy arms, had weird-looking hair buns. It also featured stitches across its chest, implying its breasts being surgically removed.
The figure was illustrated by American artist Jess Vosseteig, a member of the LGBT community. While the boots featuring the pink figure were a one-off giveaway, many took to Instagram to voice their displeasure against it.
Former British marathon runner Mara Yamauchi criticized both Costa Coffee and Dr. Martens in a post on X (formerly Twitter), and announced she would boycott them. She asserted that the companies' use of imagery showing the "unnecessary butchering of girls’ and young women’s healthy breasts in the name of regressive, misogynistic and homophobic ideology to sell their products" was "grotesque."
"The examples of Bud Light, Costa and Dr. Martens reflect the tricky balance that brands have to strike to reach their consumers, who demand greater diversity and inclusivity," Fortune magazine noted.
Visit WokeMob.news for more stories about big companies supporting wokeism.
Watch this video about Bud Light's terrible losses following the woke marketing campaign controversy involving Dylan Mulvaney.
This video is from the Red Voice Media channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Brexit leader Farage “debanked” for being friends with Trump and going against “WOKE” ideologies.
Sources include:
Please contact us for more information.