Post by durhamgsoaggie on Sept 14, 2019 10:03:37 GMT -5
Question for the board:
Does Shaquille O'Neal presence with Papa John's make you more willing to spend your $$$ with them again in light of the past racial issues leading to the ouster of company founder "Papa John" Schnatter?
No. Papa Johns stepping up to support Bennett College last year made me more willing to spend my $$$ with them again.
We actually talked about this in a couple of my MBA classes around corporate responsibility. The $500K they kicked to Bennett was a starting point, given how egregious the damage was from the Papa John revelation. But the question was around what would Papa John's do from a structural/leadership perspective to change it's culture & image?
Shaq being on their board and owning franchises provides a different type of impact than the Bennett donation. But it's good to note both.
Post by Bornthrilla on Sept 16, 2019 8:25:28 GMT -5
I think in Shaq's situation, this is just an example of pure capitalism. Buy low and sell high. He saw an opportunity to invest in a franchise at a minimal risk and took advantage of it.
Of course, Papa Johns is trying to rebrand its image but I dont think they are gonna gain a lot of mileage in the black community simply because they added Shaq to their board.
Nobody really views him a leading voice on social justice or race relations.
Their best bet in the short term is just to keep cutting checks to high profile causes.
Post by marchingband1969 on Sept 16, 2019 12:09:03 GMT -5
Let me think about it...Oh hell no! Now if Shaq "volunteered" his name free because he was impressed with the owner's change of heart, maybe. But hell all they did was "buy" Shaq's endorsement. Would we buy more Papa John's pizza if they hired OJ Simpson as their spokesperson?
The owner of Little Caesar paid Rosa Parks rent in Detroit for years until her death. I don't really like Little Caesar Pizzas but I buy one once in a while, hold my nose when I eat it in honor of Rosa Parks and the owner.
I don't like the idea that Papa John's management thinks that tossing a bone to one high profile Brother will erase our memory of their racist founder. I won't forget or forgive them!
