Legacy consumer group sets up new system to quickly identify 'woke' companies to avoid
By jdheyes // 2023-04-20
 
The decision by Dutch brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev to feature a transgender activist in its Bud Light marketing campaign has raised questions about the company's motivations. Some have argued that the promotion goes against the values of the company's customer base. However, Anheuser-Busch InBev is not alone in this approach, as a number of major corporations in the United States have similarly aligned themselves with the woke political agenda in recent years. Consumers' Research, a consumer advocacy group with a history dating back to 1929, is launching a new service called "Woke Alerts." This direct-to-consumer text service will notify users of instances where companies are pandering to far-left ideologies. The Woke Alerts service will be promoted through a large-scale digital campaign aimed at informing consumers how to sign up and use it, the group noted in a press release. The initiative is an extension of the Consumers' First Initiative, which previously called out companies such as Coca-Cola, Nike, American Airlines, State Farm, Ticketmaster, MLB, American Express, and Levi's for prioritizing woke politics over their customers' interests. "Users sign up for Woke Alerts through the Consumers’ Research website. Subscribers will be notified by text message when companies cave to the woke mob – so they know the brands attacking their values," the release continued. In response to recent actions by companies such as Bud Light, Jack Daniels, and Bank of America, Consumers' Research has launched Woke Alerts to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. The organization believes that companies should prioritize their customers rather than cater to woke politicians or pressure from progressive activists and ESG extremists. Woke Alerts aims to provide consumers not only with information about a company's foray into woke activism but also insights into the underlying motivations behind these decisions, including attempts to mask objectionable behavior, said the group. By providing this information, Consumers' Research hopes to empower consumers to spend their money in a way that aligns with their values and beliefs, it added. In many cases, C-suite executives may be incentivized to embrace woke ideology in order to receive a high score on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which is managed by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ political lobby in the world, the group says. The CEI is often seen as a counterpart to the ESG movement. The New York Post explains: At stake is their Corporate Equality Index — or CEI — score, which is overseen by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ political lobbying group in the world. HRC, which has received millions from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation among others, issues report cards for America’s biggest corporations via the CEI: awarding or subtracting points for how well companies adhere to what HRC calls its “rating criteria.” "Businesses that attain the maximum 100 total points earn the coveted title 'Best Place To Work For LGBTQ Equality.' Fifteen of the top 20 Fortune-ranked companies received 100% ratings last year, according to HRC data," The Post continued. If CEOs fail to receive top scores, they reportedly risk reductions in compensation and bonuses, as well as decreased investment from BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street Bank - three of the largest woke asset management firms. Unfortunately, many companies engage in woke virtue signaling as a means of deflecting attention from other issues, such as the mistreatment of customers, business malpractice, and exploitation of cheap foreign labor, including child and forced labor, Consumers' First noted further. Woke Alerts not only provides valuable information to consumers, but it also sends a message to corporations that their woke virtue signaling will no longer be effective, said the organization's release. By alerting consumers immediately when companies take political positions in areas where they lack expertise, Woke Alerts puts pressure on corporations to prioritize delivering the best products at the most competitive prices for their customers. Sources include: NYPost.com Breitbart.com