Cellphone Company Mixes Liberalism with Business: or "I Just Want A Damned Phone! I Don't Want Your Politics!"

I was a bit peeved, as you can tell from my title, after reading about a wireless company based in San Francisco (where else?) that is mixing its business with leftwing activism.  The story from FoxNews (that evil bastion of rightwing activism ...):

Wireless Company Mixes Liberal Politics with Business

A San Francisco-based wireless company is working liberal political activism into its business plan in a unabashedly partisan marketing strategy that experts say could catch on in today's polarized culture -- but also could alienate many potential customers.

The company, CREDO, even boasts that it has the support of President Obama as it markets itself as an agent of social change. It pitches its mobile phone services with a vow to fight for "real" health care reform, free speech, peace and the environment.

To those ends, CREDO claims it has raised $63 million for liberal causes and groups such as the ACLU, Doctors Without Borders, Planned Parenthood and Earthjustice -- all the while skewering its bigger, well-established rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless for financially supporting Republicans and moderate Democrats.

It's unclear whether the business strategy is paying off financially -- CREDO's figures aren't available and company executives did not return messages requesting an interview. But in an age when companies of all stripes are trying to bolster their corporate images by appearing environmentally friendly, a highly partisan appeal is seen as a risky but potentially fruitful new approach.

"What's happened to some extent is the country has become polarized along different political views," said Fredric Kropp, a marketing professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. So a marketing strategy that exploits that tension could "induce the consumer to purchase from the company," he said.

"It kind of makes sense, and I think it makes sense from all political viewpoints," Kropp said. He was unable to think of any other companies that have adopted a similar strategy, though some companies have campaigned for particular causes, like Ben & Jerry's support of organic farming.

But Peter Sealey, a management consultant and former head of global marketing for the Coca-Cola Co. told Fox News that CREDO's strategy has no chance for success.

"This will absolutely not work," he told FoxNews.com. "The idea is not going to work because a generalized agenda loses to a laser-like focused appeal." An overtly political marketing strategy will alienate too many people, he said, regardless of the side the business takes.

This is annoying.  Now we have businesses that are actively playing tiddly winks with the "polarization" of our society. Will the consumer be forced to check into the politics of any comapany with which he wishes to do business in order to avoid supporting questionable ideologies?  More homework for the consumer!  Grrrrrr!  I just want a product that is reasonably priced and works well, be it a cellphone, washer, TV, or a car.  I don't want to start thinking about the activism that a company might possibly be supporting.  Sheeeeeesh!   Can't they, instead, just donate to the Red Cross or the local food pantry?  This age is giving us more and more things to worry about everyday!

Of course, if Obama backs this company, it's gotta be great, right?  Riiiiight ....