I heard back from a Sinclair advertiser. Question - what to do w/coupons

[funky_bug]

"Dear XXXXXXX:

Thank you for taking the time to contact Nestle' USA, Hand-held Foods Group, manufacturer of the frozen Hot Pockets brand sandwiches. We appreciate consumers letting us know about any questions or concerns they may have regarding our product or, as in this case, our advertising.

We always try to reach all the broadcast audience possible via a mix of programs. However, we are not always certain where our commercials will air since a media agency puchases the time for us. Thus, the local television station in your area programs their daily shows and chooses the ads that appear with each show. We encourage you to communicate directly with your local TV network in your area.

Please understand our commercials that air during a particular program does NOT indicate that we sponsor the content of that program.

Once again, thank you for your comments. Please accept the enclosed coupons with our compliments.

Sincerely,
Gail Stuart
Consumer Affairs Manager"

My question is, what should I do with these $0.40 coupons they sent me for Hot Pockets? Suggestions? I'm sure not gonna use them. If I can hold out on pizza delivery, I can live without Hot Pockets and Nestle Toll House cookies.

[Pirate Smile]

1. If they aren't pulling the ads, send them back and say you will

not be buying their products.

[Zorra]

3. That's what I think, too.

[blondeatlast]

8. Mention that now 53000 members fo a certain unnamed

website won't be buying Nestle products as well.

[JohnnyCougar]

10. Not to mention 50,000 more from Kos and Atrios

[blondeatlast]

11. Exactly (no need to mention the overlap, though...)

:evilgrin:

[Wickerman]

2. They think you can be bought for 40 cents off their lousy chemical pockets

?

LOL, losers.

[xultar]

6. I love it Chemical Pockets...ROTFLMAO!!! n/t

[bush equals idiot]

4. Send them back a note

with the coupons telling them that when they are certain where their commercials run, and they are withdrawn from the Sinclair stations immediately, then you may send me coupons. Until that time, I won't need them because my family won't be buying any Nestle products whatsoever.

[xultar]

5. Mail'em back and tell'em to stick'em in their hot pockets! fuckers n/t

[sr_pacifica]

9. You crack me up! n/t

[blondeatlast]

7. Donate them to a a kitchen for the poor.

Every little bit helps.

[Iceburg]

12. It time for the politeness to cease .... my 2nd reply to P&G

Dear Mr. Loftus,

With all due respect, stating that “We have no plans to advertise on this program” is akin saying “we’ll advertise later”.

As I stated in my first email, “Whether you personally are a Bush supporter or a Kerry supporter, I'm sure that you would agree that forcing stations to air such denigrating propaganda on the eve of an election has only one purpose in mind. “

After doing a little research, it is now abundantly clear what P&Gs plans are...



Respectfully,
xxx
xxx
-----------------------------------
----- Reply from P&G -----

From: [e-mail]
To: xxxxx
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: Sinclair Situation -- Silence is not an appropriate response

Dear xx and xxx --

Thank you for contacting Messrs. Lafley and Pepper about Sinclair Broadcast Group's plans to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal."

We have no plans to advertise on this program. One of our guiding principles is that we don't advertise on programs where there is expression for or against a specific political candidate.

The way we spend our advertising dollar is important to us. We make advertising decisions on a program-by-program basis and, for most tv programming, we're able to review the programming content before making any advertising decisions. We were not able to review the content of this program in advance, but still have no plans to advertise on this program for the reason mentioned above, i.e., we don't advertise on programs where there is expression for or against a specific political candidate.

We appreciate your comments and I'm sharing them with those inside our company who are responsible for television sponsorship.

Respectfully yours,

Terry Loftus


-----------------------------------
----- Original Message -----

To: '[e-mail]'
cc: [e-mail]';[e-mail];
'[e-mail]'; '[e-mail]'
Subject: Sinclair Situation -- Silence is not an appropriate response

Attention: A.G. Lafley
President and CEO
Procter & Gamble Co.
1 Procter & Gamble Plz.
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Subject: Sinclair Situation -- Silence is not an appropriate response

Dear Mr. Lafley,

In your own very eloquent and wise words you state:

"Procter & Gamble's reputation is earned by our conduct: what we say and, more important, what we do; the products we make; the services we provide; and the way we act and treat others. As conscientious citizens and employees, we want to do what is right. For P&G, and its global operations, this is the only way to do business.

To conduct our business with integrity in a lawful and responsible manner, we have to be alert to situations that pose questions of right and wrong. We need to have a good understanding of our Core Values and the laws that are pertinent to the work we do and the decisions we make. And, most important, we must use good judgment in deciding what course of action is most appropriate."

In less than 3 days, the Sinclair Broadcasting Group (a network in which you and your affiliate product companies advertise) will air a very calumous film that maliciously and knowingly distorts the record of presidential candidate John Kerry. The film, "Stolen Honour" will be force-fed to Sinclairs 62 stations and its affiliates under the guise of "news" to avoid any indepth scrutiny by the FCC. Further, the inaction by the FCC in response to the court-ordered repeal of "Personal Attack and Political Editorial Rules " in 2000, has the public air ways unpoliced and vulnerable to abuse. Thus, say the FCC "we have no legal grounds to halt the Sinclair airing"

If the FCC can no longer or is no longer willing to uphold the principles of fairness, then we (the conscientious viewers and advertisers) are left with a "neighbour watch" type approach to ensure good conduct and integrity over the air waves. To that end, a grass roots boycott of potentially tsunamic proportions is gathering momentum over the internet. Its reach will extend beyond the US borders. Whether you personally are a Bush supporter or a Kerry supporter, I'm sure that you would agree that forcing stations to air such denigrating propaganda on the eve of an election has only one purpose in mind.

The 2004 elections are important not only to Americans but to most non-Americans as well. While my Canadian family is in the top 1% of the income bracket, we never forget how we came to be so fortunate and thus take our citizen responsibilities very seriously – honesty, integrity and good judgment . We have been most loyal patrons of P&G products, not just be the products are great but more importantly because we support your company's core values.

My question then is this: Will P&G honor its core values or sit on the sidelines in silence complicit with the Sinclair deed?

In the words of Martin Luther King, Junior: "We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." Respectfully, Mr. Lafley, if you sit in silence, we will honor our core values and thus discontinue our relationship (stocks and products) with our friend -- P&G.

We do trust that P&G is on alert to this situation that poses a question of right or wrong. We do recognize that the dynamics of this situation are fluid. That said, silence is not an appropriate response in this situation.

With respect,

xxx
xxx

[Rebellious Republican]

13. I started recieving replies today as well, here are a couple.......

Dear xxxxxx,

Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company on 10/17/04. We appreciate
the time you have taken to provide us with your feedback towards
advertising on Sinclair Broadcasting.

We regret the circumstances that have prompted you to contact us. Please
accept our apology for any frustration or inconvenience you may have
experienced.

We appreciate your input regarding our advertising.

We believe one of the most effective ways to connect with customers and
generate mass awareness of our products is through television
advertising. We treat our purchase of commercial time as we do any
other prime time, mainstream television program. By buying commercial
time on top-rated shows, we are not making judgment on the specific
content of the show but simply making an optimized attempt to reach our
many customers through award-winning television programming.

Ford advertises on many networks and our commercials run on their
affiliate stations, including those in the Sinclair group. We do not
endorse candidates or advertise on programs that are partisan. We do
not endorse or support in any way the broadcast of the show in question,
"Stolen Honor."

Ford Motor Company values the opinions and sensibilities of our
customers worldwide and will continue to try to place advertising on
programs that reach and appeal to our diverse customer base.

If you have any other inquiries or concerns, please feel free to contact
us and we will be happy to address them.

Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company.

Sincerely,
Allan
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center

_____________________________________________________________________

Hello!
Thank you for taking the time to contact us at PepsiCo. Accurate and
balanced journalism is important to us, and we appreciate your thoughts
regarding Sinclair Broadcasting Group's upcoming plans.
We have no national advertising buys scheduled with Sinclair
Broadcasting, nor do we plan to advertise on the program in question.
We will also make our bottlers aware of this situation and share these
concerns so they can take them into consideration as they plan their
local marketing efforts. We will follow the resolution of this issue
closely.
Given your concerns, we also would suggest that you communicate your
views directly to Sinclair Broadcasting Group's President and Chief
Executive Officer, David D. Smith. He can be contacted at Sinclair
Broadcasting Group, 10706 Beaver Dam Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21030, or
via email at [e-mail]
Again, many thanks for bringing this to our attention. We value your
comments, and equally, the constructive spirit in which they are
offered.

-Pepsi-Cola Company


_____________________________________________________________________

Kraft - Online Team2 <[e-mail]>

Thanks for visiting our web site. We're sorry to learn you're disappointed
with the content of a television program you recently saw.

We pride ourselves in tasteful and believable advertising, and we try to be
sure that the programs we sponsor are of the same quality. As an
advertiser, we don't have a voice in the content of the program. But, if
the show doesn't meet our standards, advertising is withdrawn. We make a
sincere effort to avoid sponsorship of any programs that would be
unacceptable in terms of generally accepted social or community standards.
This requires that judgments be made and, in spite of our best efforts,
there are some instances when it's not easy to determine in advance whether
a particular program or portions of the program may turn out to be
objectionable to any members of the audience.

We'll continue to work toward presentation of entertainment which is in good
taste. Please add our site to your bookmarks, and visit us again soon!


~~TLXEA_9135106~~N
_____________________________________________________________________


I paticularly enjoyed the Kraft reply, it gave me a chance to respond that the show has not aired yet, and they still have an opportunity to pull any ads.