Chick-fil-A VP of public relations Don Perry dies

[Goldhedge]

Video at link

Chick-fil-A VP of public relations Don Perry dies

ATLANTA -- Donald Perry, Chick-fil-A's longtime Vice-President of Public Relations, died Friday morning, the company said in a statement.

Perry's death was sudden, leaving the company without its chief spokesman amid a major marketing crisis for the restaurant chain. Perry was 60 years old.

"Don was a member of our Chick-fil-A family for nearly 29 years," the statement read. "He was a well-respected and well-liked media executive in the Atlanta and University of Georgia communities, and we will all miss him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Perry joined Chick-fil-A in 1983 as its manager of corporate public relations.

Public relations professor and Chick-fil-A consultant Ken Bernhardt worked closely with Perry for nearly three decades.

"Don helped build Chick-fil-A to the company that it was now," he said. "It was a very small company when he joined 29 years ago and a big part of their growth was through a lot of the things that he did."

Chick-fil-A has come under fire from some patrons and politicians over company President Dan Cathy's public support for traditional marriage and the "biblical definition" of families.

There have been protests held at restaurants over what some describe as the company's "intolerance" of same-sex marriage.

Officials in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia have threatened to ban the chain, although some have since backpedaled.

"I suspect he's been under a lot of stress with the recent media storm," Bernhardt said of his longtime friend. "But he always handled stress very well."

"Whenever an issue came up, he was at the center of it and had to represent the company. He seemed to always have a sense of humor and seemed to handle any situation really, really well," he said.

Chick-fil-A, which operates more than 1,600 restaurants in 39 states, has tried to defuse the crisis by saying they treat all customers with dignity and respect and intend to leave the same-sex marriage debate in the political arena.



http://www.11alive.com/news/article/...Don-Perry-dies

[Nickelless]

And Andrew Breitbart also died of natural causes.

Seriously, something about this just doesn't pass the smell test.

[Mr Paradise]

...and Andrew Breitbarts coroner dies of arsenic poisoning the day Breitbarts autopsy report is released.

[honu5050]

a coincidence more then likely.

[Unclad Lad]

Given how much salt is in those sandwiches, his arteries probably popped a gusher.

[WhyKnow]

Chick Fil A day for free speech is today I think. I don't live by any.

[cpthnsolo]

Chick Fil A day for free speech is today I think. I don't live by any.

I was already there for breakfast and will be there for lunch as well .

[Apocalypto]

I was already there for breakfast and will be there for lunch as well .

They're probably very happy to have such a loyal customer.

Chick-fil-A brand health dives 40 percent after anti-LGBT remarks

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/3...-lgbt-remarks/

[soupbone]

My partner just walked in the office with Chik-Fil-A. She's all hardcore about supporting them after the gay marriage fiasco. She said there was an hour wait.

EPIC backfire.

[Apocalypto]

EPIC backfire.

A 40% drop is definitely a backfire. lol

Chick-Fil-A's perception with fast food eaters nationwide has taken a significant hit in most regions of the US, including the South where most of its restaurants are located, since president and COO Dan Cathy's perceived anti-gay remarks on July 16th.

In the Midwest, Chick-Fil-A's perception jumped up for a week and has tapered off to where it was before the interview was published.

As the controversy has snowballed, the company's overall consumer brand health with fast food eaters has dropped to its lowest levels since at least mid-August 2010.

http://research.yougov.com/news/2012...t-food-eaters/

[gringott]

Wow. Kentucky is in the south, and seems to me since there is a huge wait to get any food there, esp since this thing blew up, that maybe people in this state are against the anti-free speech movement led by the MSM. I wonder if the books are cooked in that "study".
The UofL President made remarks that he wouldn't be eating there, and is looking at removing them from the student "food court".
First off, the food court is closed for the summer session, so nobody will be eating there until school starts in the fall, second there has been a huge backlash of UofL alumni and other community groups.
We voted down homosexual marriage here in 2004. Therefore, he is a state employee forcing his personal anti-law beliefs on the community because the CEO of a chicken place is a Christian. Not good, not good at all. I have nothing against homosexuals, but if someone thinks homosexual marriage is wrong, he or she is entitled to that belief. If a person is for it, then lobby to have the law changed. What if we started having government officials and employees boycoting and refusing business licenses and building permits to people who spoke FOR homosexual marriage? Would that be OK? Is turn about fair play?

I thought the leftists were all against "bullying"? Isn't this whole thing a form of bullying by those who have the bullhorn [MSM]?

[WhyKnow]

A 40% drop is definitely a backfire. lol

Chick-Fil-A's perception with fast food eaters nationwide has taken a significant hit in most regions of the US, ... the company's overall consumer brand health with fast food eaters has dropped to its lowest levels since at least mid-August 2010.

http://research.yougov.com/news/2012...t-food-eaters/

Popular approval doesn't sway me much. Stand for what is right.

What's the difference between a brown-noser and a sh!thead? Depth perception.

[Apocalypto]

Popular approval doesn't sway me much. Stand for what is right.

What's the difference between a brown-noser and a sh!thead? Depth perception.

Well, good luck to the company, but the smartest thing to do might have been to just not get involved in those kinds of debates in the first place. I am speaking from the simple standpoint of running a business. Why get involved in a debate that has no bearing on you personally or your business? No pun intended, but it's a recipe for disaster from a business standpoint. These folks are figuring that out the hard way,

[Goldhedge]

There are a lot more Christians than there are gays. I suspect the 40% drop is a temporary blip.


Folks are getting really tired of financial terrorism just because of a differing belief. I know I am...


It's akin to forcing blacks to sit at the back of the bus...

[Apocalypto]

There are a lot more Christians than there are gays. I suspect the 40% drop is a temporary blip.


Folks are getting really tired of financial terrorism just because of a differing belief. I know I am...


It's akin to forcing blacks to sit at the back of the bus...

It's ironic that you bring up the black issue. Here is an analogy for those of you who just don't seem to "get it". You're the PR director for a company. The CEO hates blacks. Only those who know him personally are aware of this fact. The CEO is scheduled to have an interview with a magazine, and he comes to you for your suggestions on whether or not he should publicly proclaim his hatred for blacks. What do you tell him? (It's not a trick question.)

Is this not a fair analogy? Free speech is critical, absolutely, but my argument is, why bother discussing a very sensitive issue that has no bearing on your company at all?

GH, this isn't financial terrorism. It's people boycotting a company based on the beliefs of its management. If anything, that is an example of the exercising of the individuals' free rights. It goes both ways.

Frankly, what the Chick-Fil-A President did was stupid, and from a purely business standpoint, he deserves the drop-off in his business.

[cpthnsolo]

GH, this isn't financial terrorism.

You're wrong there... It is "financial terrorism" on some level when you have calls from the LBGT community to fill *PRIVATELY OWNED* franchise restaurant with a "kiss-in" for as long as possible. My wife is friends with a large number of liberals in the DC area and they repeatedly posting messages about going to Chick-fil-a today with the sole intent to order water, sit at a table that others could have used, and then kiss for as long as possible. If planning on filling up a restaurant without paying a nickel and thereby keeping regular customers away is okay in your book, what is wrong?

FWIW though I *fully* support any gay person in their boycott of Chick-fil-a. Personally I have conservative views on such matters, but actions have consequences and being a Libertarian I believe you are responsible for your actions and statements. However the thought of allowing people to fill up a restaurant (which is most likely owned by someone else for crying out loud) for the sole intention of putting on a show is not acceptable. I've got a news flash for the LBGT community: Most major religions do not condone homosexuality so why not protest every Synagogue, Mosque, Temple, and Church on Sunday morning?

Shheesshhh...

[Apocalypto]

You're wrong there... It is "financial terrorism" on some level when you have calls from the LBGT community to fill *PRIVATELY OWNED* franchise restaurant with a "kiss-in" for as long as possible. My wife is friends with a large number of liberals in the DC area and they repeatedly posting messages about going to Chick-fil-a today with the sole intent to order water, sit at a table that others could have used, and then kiss for as long as possible. If planning on filling up a restaurant without paying a nickel and thereby keeping regular customers away is okay in your book, what is wrong?

FWIW though I *fully* support any gay person in their boycott of Chick-fil-a. Personally I have conservative views on such matters, but actions have consequences and being a Libertarian I believe you are responsible for your actions and statements. However the thought of allowing people to fill up a restaurant (which is most likely owned by someone else for crying out loud) for the sole intention of putting on a show is not acceptable. I've got a news flash for the LBGT community: Most major religions do not condone homosexuality so why not protest every Synagogue, Mosque, Temple, and Church on Sunday morning?

Shheesshhh...

If they're not breaking the law, then it's all fair. If they go too far, public opinion might turn against them.

At any rate, I stand by my comments. Calling this financial terrorism is akin to conservative paranoia. Furthermore, it sanctimoniously belittles the concept of true financial terrorism, such as the deeds of the Federal Reserve, the banksters, government and the rest of the scum.

One other comment in re to this whole gay, lgbt whatever thing, at some point in time, probably within a decade, I firmly believe that gays will legally win the right to get married. To me, this is nothing more than a similar issue to women getting the vote, or blacks fighting for their civil rights. That's just my opinion, but it's my prediction the way this whole gay marriage thing will eventually play out.

Yet another reason why I find GH's comments about blacks so ironic.

[Dude]

I've read everywhere they had lines snaking out the door. Rick Santorum had lunch there.

[WhyKnow]

One other comment in re to this whole gay, lgbt whatever thing, at some point in time, probably within a decade, I firmly believe that gays will legally win the right to get married. That's just my opinion, but it's my prediction the way this whole gay marriage thing will eventually play out.

I agree with your prediction. Study a few thousand years of history. America is well on her way. It is now socially acceptable to perform all kinds of acts which were once considered wrong. It is a symptom of a problem.

[cpthnsolo]

If they're not breaking the law, then it's all fair.

So you're perfectly okay with people loitering and trying to purposely cause a disturbance (a "kiss in" is not appropriate at a fast food chain regardless of sexuality) solely to make a business owner suffer who had NOTHING to do with the root of the problem? You could easily put a lot of businesses out of business by filling their showrooms with non-buying shoppers until their cash flow collapsed (which would happen quickly at most small businesses). I guess that's perfectly acceptable to you as long as the mob is punishing business you don't approve of or businesses other than your own. Remember, we're NOT talking about a simple boycott here...The use of the word terrorism certainly seems inappropriate or extreme in this case, however when you're punishing people who HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH the root of the problem in the first place I struggle to see how the franchise owners would call it anything other than that. If the LBGT community is upset with the fact people have religious beliefs, than tell them to protest churches and temples. Loitering with the intent to cause a disturbance and punish a business owner who had *ZERO* to do with the comments in the first place does ***NOT**** make sense.

EDIT -- Just to be clear I don't believe the Federal Government should be in the business of marriage to start with. If marriage is between a man and a woman coming together before God, than why do we allow atheist to wed? Remove marriage from government and everybody wins.

[tradeshack]

The outstanding thing about Chick-fil-A is that its owners care about more than money or "BrandIndex scores". Their religious dedication seems apparent not only by company president Dan Cathy's expression of his family's beliefs but also by what the company does for the community.

I began taking my own family to Chick-fil-A 10 years ago because of a free meal coupon that was presented to my child in recognition of an academic achievement. The company is constantly offering discount incentives that make dining far more affordable than at any of the mega-corporation fast food chains. The place is always clean and the food is extremely healthy. The employees are eager to serve and seem very happy to be there. But the service to community does not end at the restaurant.
This web page provides a brief description in the paragraph titled 'Charities / Scholarships'.

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Company/H...ts-Fact-Sheets

We had dinner at Chick-fil-a today (8-1-2012). I had to park a couple hundred yards away. The drive thru line went twice as far. A single line of customers weaved all around inside the WHOLE restaurant. It took about one hour to be served. They ran out of at least two of the menu meals that we intended to order. The customers were social and very chatty. A lot of people were seniors but, there were younger people too. Several folks sang 'God bless America' while I waited in line.

The number one reason people gave me for being there today was to show their support for Mr. Cathy's God given right to freedom of religion and speech.

I hope we keep the government from being used against him. We can you know.


Thank you for your interest.


.

[Irons]

Must be a slow news week.

[gringott]

Front page of local rag. Place sold out of everything but dessert and soda by 7:18 pm. When announced, nobody left the line.

Equal size pictures on front page, one with crowded store from outside, one of six people protesting with rainbow sign etc, two of them women with their arms around each other. i guess the locals voted thousands to one for free speech, they voted with thier feet and money and time.

I suspect selling all the food you have, and all workers called in for the entire day, isn't a 40% "decline" is it?

[Dude]

I suspect selling all the food you have, and all workers called in for the entire day, isn't a 40% "decline" is it?

Ya, I don't know who came up with the 40%. Maybe it's 40% of the gays and the other 60% would willingly trade in their life partner for a $20 gift card.

[cpthnsolo]

Must be a slow news week.

Slow news week? Multiple companies have reported disappointing earnings, our boys are still dying and killing needlessly overseas, etc., but rest assured major media outlets will focus on "Gay" or "Abortion" $hit anytime they can. This pic sums it up:

[Scald]

The issue isn't about gay or straight, black or white, It's about Liberty vs. Tyranny.

When "governing" officials can control free enterprise based on someone's personal opinions, it's game over for freedom.

[Apocalypto]

The issue isn't about gay or straight, black or white, It's about Liberty vs. Tyranny.

When "governing" officials can control free enterprise based on someone's personal opinions, it's game over for freedom.

America is free? Just askin'

[Goldhedge]

America is free? Just askin'

Of course America is free! But we're gonna have to charge you for asking....

[Apocalypto]

Of course America is free! But we're gonna have to charge you for asking....

I'll pay you in fiat.