Neo-Nazis hijacked Papa John's brand. Can Shaq take it back?

[Sick Of Silence]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/neo-nazis-hijacked-papa-johns-brand-can-shaq-take-it-back/ar-BBV70ky?li=BBnb7Kz#page=2

Papa John's, briefly hijacked by neo-Nazis as their pizza of choice after its former chief executive blamed disappointing sales on NFL protests against police brutality and later used a racist epithet during a marketing call, has been on a year-long quest to rehab its corporate image.

It forced out John Schnatter, the chain's founder and longtime public face. It appointed its first executive focused on diversity and inclusion. It established a foundation that gave a $500,000 grant to help a historically black women's college hold onto its accreditation.

And on Friday, in perhaps its most high-profile move, Papa John's announced a new brand "ambassador": basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal will join the company's board of directors and invest in nine Papa John's restaurants in his hometown of Atlanta, in addition to his marketing agreement with the company.

"Papa John's is building a better culture, and I want to be a part of improving the company from the inside out," O'Neal said in a statement.

The partnership with O'Neal could significantly boost the company's quest to win back customers, especially among minorities, marketing experts say. But they caution against relying on "Shaq" alone, as a "shiny marketing object," to accomplish that objective.

"[O'Neal] is well-liked, without controversy and known as an entrepreneur. His involvement may help them to feel okay about patronizing the brand, especially in Atlanta," said Sonya Grier, an American University marketing professor who focuses on race. "His engagement may also help to create perceptions of the brand as community-focused and help to overcome the destroyed trust in the brand."

Grier said featuring O'Neal in Papa John's advertising builds on its last campaign to showcase diversity among its franchisees and employees as a way of publicly distancing the company from Schnatter. The company spent $5.8 million last year on re-branding costs, removing Schnatter's face from its marketing materials and pizza boxes.

Just because the founder and face of the company used a so-called bad word, it does not equate to being ran by Nazi's; nor does a small group of people supporting you change your values. Nazi's don't exist anymore. The only group that is killing Jews and blitzkrieg-ing across Europe ain't white Germans (it's brown Muslims).

I condemn this political extortion than goes on where one has to pay off a group solely on social justice value.

I also don't support Shaq. He brings down the vibe at "Inside The NBA" (Barkley knows how to laugh at himself and be entertainingly funny most of the time). He also has his hands in to many pies which I generally hate in people.

I rarely eat pizza. Papa John's is not my brand. But, I will make sure it is not other's brand.

[Bronx]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/neo-nazis-hijacked-papa-johns-brand-can-shaq-take-it-back/ar-BBV70ky?li=BBnb7Kz#page=2

Just because the founder and face of the company used a so-called bad word

Don't believe the lies. John Schnatter was on a conference call with the board members. It was a training exercise which called for ...what if you encounter a racist situation and bingo once he read from the training manual and the "N" word used for "training purpose" it was all over. The board members set him up because he told the truth about the NFL.

"The context was a training exercise"...the liberal left set John Schnatter in a "training exercise".

Read the whole article.

The Truth about Papa John's

Then came a July 11 Forbes story that reported that on a May conference call with a marketing agency, Schnatter had used the n-word. The context was a training exercise: the agency, Laundry Service (owned by big PR agency Wasserman), was training Schnatter to prevent public relations gaffes. According to Forbes, Schnatter complained on the call that "Colonel Sanders called blacks n*****s" and was not publicly criticized for it.

Schnatter issued an apology, but the backlash was swift.

READ MORE....
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/papa-johns-john-schnatter-will-exit-board-timeline-182840023.html

[Sick Of Silence]

Don't believe the lies. John Schnatter was on a conference call with the board members. It was a training exercise which called for ...what if you encounter a racist situation and bingo once he read from the training manual and the "N" word used for "training purpose" it was all over. The board members set him up because he told the truth about the NFL.

"The context was a training exercise"...the liberal left set John Schnatter in a "training exercise".

Read the whole article.

The Truth about Papa John's

Then came a July 11 Forbes story that reported that on a May conference call with a marketing agency, Schnatter had used the n-word. The context was a training exercise: the agency, Laundry Service (owned by big PR agency Wasserman), was training Schnatter to prevent public relations gaffes. According to Forbes, Schnatter complained on the call that "Colonel Sanders called blacks n*****s" and was not publicly criticized for it.

Schnatter issued an apology, but the backlash was swift.

READ MORE....
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/papa-johns-john-schnatter-will-exit-board-timeline-182840023.html

That's why I said "so-called". I don't believe every "so-called" accusation that is out there. To many "Liberals who cry wolf" situations.