Analysis: Dillard’s and an unsatisfying response on the Heroic Media controversy

There are some problems with the company’s response. But first, let’s understand that this is a meticulously crafted official statement, blessed at the highest levels, and it is likely being used by everyone at Dillard’s who’s authorized to talk about the issue. How do I know? Well, for one thing, I have seen the e-mail that Sara sent and this is most assuredly not a personal reply. Second, I’ve been a marketing and communications pro for a lot of years. I have been in the trenches when PR fires broke out. I have seen vehement arguments waged over comma placement (literally). I know that when something blows up, a statement or talking points document is developed by subject matter experts and corporate communication leadership, and further that said communications go nowhere without formal sign-off by at least one or two people with words like “vice president” or “chief something officer” in their titles. In the case of something as potentially serious as this, it may even have crossed the CEO’s desk. Hard to say. Also, the lawyers look at it. They don’t give a damn about how well it represents the company’s image – all they care about it how effectively it protects the company from litigation. The text of this e-mail smells exactly like that sort of official language in every respect possible. If I seem like I’m nitpicking, I promise you, this is probably nothing compared to what went on in the Dillard’s corporate offices over the past couple of days. And anybody who has done corp comm for a living can tell you that nothing I have said here is remotely controversial or insightful. This is just how the job works. As for the substance of the e-mail, I can’t help noticing how assertively our eyes are called to the word they most object to – “sponsor.” My guess is that Dillard’s has some very explicitly articulated guidelines around that word. If they sponsor an event, that likely means a set of specific items as to what is involved. There would be branding and financial concerns, all tightly defined, all agreed to and signed by all parties to the engagement. I’m just speculating at this point, but I’m betting that “sponsor” is, within Dillard’s official marketing and legal context, a word with a specific meaning – a meaning that does not technically apply to the Heroic Media event.This seems like it would be standard practice in a major organization like Dillard’s. If so, then the spokesperson is telling the truth. It may, however, be one of those truths that leaves room for the reader to arrive, through no fault of the company’s, at an inadvertent conclusion that is at best incomplete. (Read that sentence and tell me I haven’t had experience with Legal.) For instance, companies engage with all kinds of events – large, small, local, national, trade, community, etc. And a large, sophisticated company like Dillard’s isn’t well-advised to reinvent the wheel each and every time. That’s why there are established guidelines that help managers do the best job with the least expenditure of energy. So if “sponsor” has a specific definition, there are perhaps other words that define different levels of engagement. Think about sporting events. You may have noticed that some events are “sponsored by” Company X, while other events are “presented by” Company Y. In some cases you might get a construction like the “Jim’s Bait Shop’s Fishsticks Bowl,” and in others it might go more like “The Fishsticks Bowl, brought to you by Jim’s Bait Shop.” And sometimes it’s just the “Jim’s Bait Shop Bowl.” You may have thought this was several ways of doing the same thing, but in point of fact there are dollar figures attached to each option, and some are more valuable than others. The Jim’s Bait Shop Fishsticks Bowl costs Jim’s a lot more money than The Fishsticks Bowl, presented by Jim’s Bait Shop. I don’t know what terminology, if any, might apply to differing levels of promotional support in the case of Dillard’s and Heroic Media, but it’s a question I’d love to ask. Next sentence: “We are a fashion retailer providing merchandise for a fashion show which we frequently do for a variety of organizations in the communities that we serve.” Irrelevant. Providing merch is functionally the same as providing cash. That they do it for other organizations is only meaningful in the context of the policies governing those donations and the specific details surrounding who they choose to work with and why. Then this: “Dillard’s does not take any position with respect to social or political issues.” Depends on how we define the terms, doesn’t it? They can argue that they have a stated policy to the effect that they take no partisan positions, which is nice. But remember, this is America, where the Supreme Court has decreed that corporations are persons and money is speech. I’m not being even remotely disingenuous when I say that if you support something financially, then you are, by definition, taking a position. Let me exaggerate to illustrate the point. Let’s say I’m wealthy, and on my Web site I have a clear statement that I take no position with respect to political issues. Further, let’s say that I never, ever, offer a political opinion in public. But, I donate the maximum amount allowable by law to every candidate running on the Republicrat ticket in my state. I donate zero money to members of the Democrican Party. And I dump massive amounts into non-profits that assiduously toe the line on every major policy position supported by the Republicrats. On what planet can it realistically be said that I take no position? So if Dillard’s donates merchandise to a Heroic Media event, then they are in fact supporting the organization. To pretend otherwise is to engage in semantic tap-dancing that insults the intelligence and integrity of your audience. If you also provide similar support for pro-choice groups, then you should say that and you should do so unambiguously. Next: “We sincerely regret that a store manager, without prior authorization, allowed a contrary impression to be created.” Hmmm. Well, this is unconvincing. The American Independent story linked above reports that Dillard’s was involved in this same event last year. And “allowed a contrary impression to be created” is about as weasel-infested a passive voice swamp as it is possible for seven words of corporate language to conjure. But, giving the spokesperson the benefit of the doubt, it’s clear that one of the following is true:

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