Telstra CEO Andy Penn says telco was wrong not to stick with support for same sex marriage
Telstra has reacted to public anger over its failure to support same sex marriage
Telstra CEO Andy Penn has reversed the company’s controversial decision to withdraw public support for same sex marriage after pressure from the Catholic church, in a move that has acknowledged public outrage at the original decision.
Telstra had originally come out in support of same sex marriage along with dozens of other companies in an ad published by Australians for marriage equality before backing down last week following pressure from the church.
In an email to staff, Penn admitted there had been significant debate about Telstra’s stance but said that rather than stepping back from the debate, as he had told staff last week, Telstra should step forward.
just one more epic PR f up from Telstra
Someone forgot to read “religious extortion in 2016; for dummies”
This is great. Good on you Mumbrella for reporting the issue. I am sure the commentary from you, Dan Ilic, other media companies and the general public would have helped Telstra see the light.
Good on Telstra for owning up to its mistake. Stepping forward is the only way we can see real social change.
Perhaps Mr Penn will get a wind sock fitted to his office building for all future decisions.
That way he can see which way the wind is blowing and act accordingly.
Business should always back the inevitable. And same-sex marriage is inevitable.
Does anyone really give a shit what Telstra think on this issue in the first place.. Get your service sorted Penn, I couldn’t give a toss what you think about same sex marriage.. who asked you anyway!!
As a marketer you need to park your personal views at the door and ask only one question: “what positive relevance is my brand going to gain by entering the debate on marriage equality” …..I struggle to find that answer for most of the companies involved in the campaign. The various PR/Marketing teams involved need to come up with a convincing argument fast… unless they think the Telstra backflip is a good look.
@Tom G I’m with you. Quite why Telstra needs to have an opinion on the issue is beyond me. Trying to ride the rainbow for corporate advantage is shallow, trivialises the issue, and distracts from what a clusterfuck the company has become.
Bowing to pressure from the religious lobby simply made Telstra look out of touch. Many of its shareholders and customers were willing to abandon it over the decision. It’s a good thing for the brand that they’ve finally come around, but a brand like ANZ which has been nothing but supportive all along comes out looking much stronger.
Ok then – e-q-u-a-l-i-t-y
@Client (really…) read Sean Hall’s excellent article in the SMH.