CEO’s “Pathetic” Apology to “Woke Bullies” Leads to Immediate Customer Cancellation
We’ve seen a trend unfolding where companies are starting to fold to pressure from what we’ve called “woke bullies,” both internal and external to their organizations. After a relatively quiet start to June, these pressures have resulted in a truly pathetic apology from a groveling CEO, leading us to cancel our long-standing, multi-thousand-dollar-a-year subscription with his company. You simply don’t get to have it both ways; if you’re going to pander to one crowd, we’re not giving you our money.
Our experience with BarkBox and Meow Box runs deep. As a proud owner of three German Shepherds, and five rescue cats, we’ve been dedicated customers, holding multiple subscriptions and purchasing additional items for gifts throughout the year. We’ve even gifted subscriptions to family members. These companies are among the few subscription services that have truly stood the test of time, precisely because pet owners genuinely love a little surprise for their pets every month.
However, everything changed when an internal memo from BarkBox was leaked. This memo, which I found to be extremely inoffensive and based in common sense, outlined a decision to pause all paid ads and lifecycle marketing pushes for their Pride kit. The memo articulated that while celebrating Pride may be valued internally, the current climate makes such promotion feel more like a political statement rather than a universally joyful moment for all dog people. It directly stated, “We wouldn’t feel comfortable running a promotion centered around another politically charged symbol like a MAGA theme product. It’s worth asking whether or not the right moment to run this particular campaign”. It also emphasized that this isn’t about backing away from support but about tone, ensuring marketing remains inclusive and welcoming to everyone. This approach resonated deeply with me, mirroring the philosophy behind our own Coffee Brand Coffee – to appeal to “normies” and avoid divisive political statements.
Despite the internal memo reflecting what I believe is sound business judgment, the CEO of Barkbox, Matt Meeker, issued a graveling apology on the company’s Instagram account a few days later. He stated that the leaked message was “disrespectful and hurtful to the LGBTQIA+ community,” did not agree with its content, and didn’t reflect their values, for which he was “deeply sorry”. Furthermore, the apology clarified that the Pride collection is still available and prominently displayed on their site, with no plans to remove it. In a move that directly impacts customers, the company announced an increase in their commitment to donate 100% of the revenue from the Pride collection to worthy organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community. This means if you are a BarkBox or Meow Box customer, they are now donating your money to LGBTQ+ causes.
The apology felt absolutely pathetic, especially given the minimal public outrage that preceded it; the apology itself only garnered around a hundred likes. The irony is that these “woke bullies” often don’t even accept the apology once it’s given. My immediate response was to cancel my subscription. While the CEO hopes to rebuild trust, our money won’t be part of that process. We can buy dog toys elsewhere; we don’t need our money going to political causes.
This situation underscores a critical principle: a business’s primary goal should be to sell its products without alienating a large portion of its audience. As we’ve learned with Coffee Brand Coffee, the aim is to grow the business beyond a niche audience by not making political statements and being open to all customers. Other companies, like Masked City, Pepco, and Nissan, longtime sponsors of New York City’s Pride March, also chose not to renew their sponsorships this year.
Therefore, we have canceled our subscription. We believe that if a company is going to apologize to a small, vocal minority and shift customer funds to political causes, they should be prepared for the consequences. We hope our viewers who are customers will consider doing the same or at least share this information with others.
