I’d never heard of the A&E show, Duck Dynasty, before this week. Before it cropped up in my Twitter feed that Phil Robertson, one of the show’s stars, was fired for being a homophobe, racist, and general loose cannon with journalists. My Twitter following seemed shocked and appalled that someone would be that much of a direct bigot. Facebook, on the other hand…
“Save Phil” campaigns popped up everywhere on Facebook. Many people cried freedom of speech. Since A&E is a business, not the US Government, Phil is not protected by the First Amendment. If I said similar horrible things, my employer would fire me too. (Especially that most employers have a non-discrimination policy and think of the LGBT people and people of color who work with Duck Dynasty.)
So what about this firing of Phil? I’ve heard some Duck Dynasty fans say the show will suffer, fans will withdraw, and the show will fail without Phil. My argument is that Phil’s firing is a long-term business, marketing, and branding strategy for A&E. Continue reading “The Long-Term Brand Strategy Behind Duck Dynasty Firing”
