Time to boycott Staples...

[RX8er]

I think we are all missing the main point though. How is it that Staples aligns themselves with the leading trade association for the firearms industry and then their contest can ban them from entering? IMHO, this is the hypocritical part of the entire discussion. If they had no agreements with NSSF or other firearms trade associations, then its a different story.

I would hope that the alcohol, tobacco and nude industry groups would be up in arms as well if they have agreements with Staples, not just firearms owners and groups. I could not find any nude bar associations that support Staples however. I respect the right of a business to be able to ban anyone or group that they want from a contest or from doing business at all with them. I DESPISE the fact that the government (whether through laws or courts) can make a business do business with someone or a group. In my mind, the laws are a one way street. I am a market guy and think these decisions should be left to the business and free market. If the market doesn't like it, they will stop doing business with them. Ever hear of the restaurants that ban kids under a certain age? Some cities have tried (I really haven't followed it so I don't know if any where successful) to pass laws making this illegal and a fine. I have the luxury of having more than one choice in office supplies and a couple that are small businesses with competitive pricing.

Now, I just have to explain to TBM why I've been goggling nude bars and all the pictures that show up.

[OldCannon]

I think we are all missing the main point though. How is it that Staples aligns themselves with the leading trade association for the firearms industry and then their contest can ban them from entering? IMHO, this is the hypocritical part of the entire discussion. If they had no agreements with NSSF or other firearms trade associations, then its a different story.

It's an interesting point, and I'm sure the NSSF has some back-channel communications going on with them. But as I've said before, these kind of contests are PR events, which means it has to appeal to the broadest category possible. In the end, these contests are ENTIRELY for Staple's benefit, and as such, need to be tailored to diminish backlash.

About the best example I could come up with is to ask you to imagine you run a contest as part of your FFL business, and you're giving away a free Glock. The winner, who happens to be an employee for the Brady Campaign (or similar ilk), uses your giveaway to create their own PR event where the gun you gave them is immediately chopped into several pieces, because the Brady Campaign "puts children first." The promotional value of your event was completely negated, and you have managed to put the spotlight on the very group you don't want to have any light at all. How would the majority of your customers feel? Sure, the odds are very slim it would happen, but what if the contest entry went viral with anti-gun zealots? Suddenly, you're no longer in control of the contest.

Look, I don't want this to come off as me defending Staple's policy. I certainly disagree with it, but even at the VERY best demographic selection, Staples has a statistically higher percentage of anti-gun (or gun-unfriendly) businesses a customers. Awarding to a gun business would create negative value for Staples, and would require a LOT of effort and energy to smooth over the annoyance it would cause.

[RX8er]

It's an interesting point, and I'm sure the NSSF has some back-channel communications going on with them. But as I've said before, these kind of contests are PR events, which means it has to appeal to the broadest category possible. In the end, these contests are ENTIRELY for Staple's benefit, and as such, need to be tailored to diminish backlash.

About the best example I could come up with is to ask you to imagine you run a contest as part of your FFL business, and you're giving away a free Glock. The winner, who happens to be an employee for the Brady Campaign (or similar ilk), uses your giveaway to create their own PR event where the gun you gave them is immediately chopped into several pieces, because the Brady Campaign "puts children first." The promotional value of your event was completely negated, and you have managed to put the spotlight on the very group you don't want to have any light at all. How would the majority of your customers feel? Sure, the odds are very slim it would happen, but what if the contest entry went viral with anti-gun zealots? Suddenly, you're no longer in control of the contest.

Look, I don't want this to come off as me defending Staple's policy. I certainly disagree with it, but even at the VERY best demographic selection, Staples has a statistically higher percentage of anti-gun (or gun-unfriendly) businesses a customers. Awarding to a gun business would create negative value for Staples, and would require a LOT of effort and energy to smooth over the annoyance it would cause.

I don't disagree with your points and think we are saying pretty much the same thing. I don't think you are defending Staples, you are defending their choice to run a contest as they see fit. I 100% agree with this. I would never stand for someone that wanted to take them to court because they could not enter a contest or failed to read the directions prior to entry. I am a free market guy and I want businesses to make decisions and the free market to decide if they like.

I'll use your example to explain my heartburn with all this. The Brady Campaign calls me and says hey, we know some of our employees like to hunt. Will you agree to give our employees a 5% discount on everything you offer? For exchange,we will tell all our employees to shop with you. I say sure and next month I run a contest and I specifically exclude anyone associated with the anti-gun movements. I would be a hypocrite for doing so. I can't ask a business to support me and then exclude them from some part, no matter how small, from my business.

I am not an "everyone gets a trophy" because they played, kind of guy. Drove me nuts when my son played organized football. I think they won one or two games over the two years he played and he got the same size trophy as everyone else did. But I digress

[Jumping Frog]

Staples is based in Massachusetts.

'Nough said.