Source: Kanye West Goes on Political Rant During Concert, Says ‘I Would Have Voted on Trump’ – ABC News
In today’s climate no one really listens and no one really reads. Okay, that’s a generalization because those of you on this site actually read. The majority of people live in a soundbite and click bait title world. This means that they hear a comment completely out of context and they run with their opinion of that comment. These same people read a title and then leave a comment but they never click through and read the actual information available. Then to justify their position when they are exposed they say, “You’re passionate, I’m not arguing about x, y, z.” Basically what I’m saying is people only hear the surface discussion and then they dive in head first into protesting or fighting for or against something.
This last week New Balance has had to deal with the backlash of stating that they look forward President Elect Trump’s position on TPP. They never said they supported the guy or that they like him, they are arguing for his proposed opposition to a trade agreement that would diminish cost for their competitors who aren’t manufacturing shoes in the US.
The internet lost it on New Balance and instead of focusing on Holiday sales, New Balance is in spin mode which will undoubtedly hurt sales.
I wrote this article about the fragility of adidas’ growth. In it I explained that adidas’ growth in the US is hooked onto the wagon of two entertainers (bad) and an investment in tech (good) and an investment in marketing (meh). I’ve said over and over that a lot of the momentum they have is based on Kanye and that is the most fragile pin in a pendulum a company can be attached to. The guy is mercurial and often shoots off at the mouth and at any point he could go on a rant that could damage relationships.
Last night Kanye stated that he didn’t vote and that if he did he would have sided with Trump. Now there is a problem here for a community that idolizes Kanye West. These are basically the same guys burning New Balance. Next week the Yeezy 350 V2’s drop in three colorways. Adidas is on a tear and is the most popular brand right now. Will these same people burn their adidas?
Probably not. Which speaks to the question of celebrity and their power. Only in a country like the US can a man who has no political experience hold the highest office in the world. This happened because the man is an entertainer and this country loves its showpeople. Kanye is an entertainer. He like Donald are literally “bulletproof”. I don’t think this stays news for longer than it takes for you to read this article, share it and forget about on your timeline by next Monday.
What a world we live in when a company that makes shoes in the US, employs people in the middle class and creates jobs, can be torn down for saying they want the US to increase duties and taxes on imports. A company that is German based can attach their marketing to an entertainer with an ego the size of the moon who says he supports the same man New Balance said could possibly help their position as an American company, will be overlooked as not “really” representing the brand.
Will America burn their adidas? Probably not and that’s why we have an entertainer with zero political experience controlling the most important position in the world.
