Will Personal Values Become Increasingly Important to Marketing?

The popular chicken restaurant, Chick-fil-A, has been a regular topic of conversation after their President made public statements regarding his stance on gay marriage.  He has alienated a huge number of Chick-fil-A customers, while bringing others who support his views closer to the brand.  This has brought up some interesting discussions within the business community. I've particularly enjoyed reading some of the articles regarding the effect of such statements on positioning and marketing - and what may be in store for the future.

One article I'd like to point out was actually written by one of my former University of St. Thomas professors, Glenn Karwoski.  Glenn is the founder and managing director of The Business of Ideas, and taught a class on creativity and innovation at St. Thomas - which I enjoyed.  He recently wrote an article in which he points out the potential, and increasingly significant, impact of political beliefs, values and biases on marketing.  This is certainly an interesting point and could pose some significant challenges for brands.

Read it here:  New Innovative Restaurant Strategies
(Twin Cities Business, Glenn Karwoski, 2012)