Goodyear: Navigating a Social/Political Firestorm

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was faced with a sitting president calling for a boycott of its products and growing consumer controversy. Social media posts displayed images approving Goodyear employee apparel supporting the Black Lives Matter social movement and banning apparel supporting Blue Lives Matter or President Trump. These posts incorrectly identified the images as originating in Goodyear’s corporate office. The images actually originated from a local Kansas plant. Faced with consumer backlash and a presidential boycott request, Goodyear was forced to decide if, and how, to respond.