Darden walks fine line with advertising and TV-show boycotts

Oct 19, 2009 (The Orlando Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- DRI | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- At least three times this year, Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has faced pressure from groups angry about the content of TV shows on which the company ran ads.

The programs in question have run the gamut, from the show hosted by conservative commentator Glenn Beck to the Late Show With David Letterman to the sometimes-raunchy sitcom Two and a Half Men.

In each instance, the spots for Darden's Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains stopped running, although the company has not officially acknowledged a connection.

The controversies highlight the dilemma facing many major U.S. businesses, which use the power of TV ads to help reach as many potential customers as possible. But sometimes they have to deal with the thorny issue of a show alienating some people, even if it delivers high ratings.

Experts say it has become a bigger issue as consumers have become outspoken, and the Web has made it easier for groups to publicize causes.

"There's no doubt about it -- a lot of these interest groups really do have a heavy hand and made themselves heard," said Paula Alex, chief executive officer of the Advertising Educational Foundation.Darden would not comment for this article, saying it does not discuss advertising practices. The company has spent an increasing amount of money on advertising in general -- $308.3 million in fiscal 2009, up from $257.8 million in 2008, according to SEC filings.

"Being big means you are a big target, and you just have to be more careful and sensitive in managing that," said Dennis Lombardi, an Ohio-based consultant.

Media-buying decisions can get especially tricky in the edgy realm of late-night comedy and political talk shows.

Darden's Olive Garden ads disappeared from Letterman the same June night he made his joke about Sarah Palin's teenage daughter getting "knocked up." Some were outraged by the one-liner, for which Letterman later apologized, and called for advertiser boycotts.

Soon after, Web reports began citing company e-mails to disgruntled customers expressing Olive Garden's displeasure with the joke, and the site Politico reported that an Olive Garden spokeswoman had confirmed ads were canceled for the rest of the season. Darden officials, however, insisted the Politico report was wrong, the timing was a coincidence, and its ad schedule for that season had simply run out.

Darden and CBS wouldn't comment on whether Olive Garden ever returned to Letterman for its current season. So far, Letterman's more recent controversy -- his revelation that he had sex with women who worked for him -- doesn't appear to have driven away advertisers.

More recently, Darden had no comment about why its Red Lobster ads have not appeared since early August on the show of conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck. The group ColorOfChange.org contacted advertisers asking them to stop running spots on the show after Beck called President Barack Obama a racist. As of late last week, Red Lobster is among the dozens of companies that ColorOfChange.org says has not advertised on the show recently. ColorOfChange.org said some companies have specifically acknowledged pulling ads but Red Lobster is among those that remained silent.

Darden also hasn't spoken about its ads not appearing recently on Two and a Half Men, a show targeted by the media watchdog group Parents Television Council.

The organization, founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell, has consistently praised Darden as being a family friendly advertiser.

The group monitors how many times companies advertise on various prime-time broadcast shows and rates them on how frequently they appear on programs considered acceptable for young viewers, inappropriate or somewhere in the middle.

It currently rates Darden 11th out of more than 450 companies. On prime-time broadcast shows PTC tracks, "Darden has been consistently conscientious about where their spots air and, frankly, very supportive of family-friendly programming," said Glen Erickson, PTC director of corporate relations. "We still continue to hold them up as examples."

Last month, the PTC praised Darden along with other companies for not advertising its Red Lobster spots recently on Two and a Half Men.

Contending the show has too much sexually oriented content and vulgar humor, PTC has routinely contacted sponsors and says about 30 of them stopped advertising. PTC said Darden, an infrequent advertiser on the show to begin with, did not give a reason why its Red Lobster ads haven't appeared since April. Again, the company had no comment.

Experts say staying mum may be a smart course of action.

"I think more companies are saying nothing," said Orlando-based branding consultant Eli Portnoy, "and hoping if they don't engage the fire, the fire will go out sooner."

Sandra Pedicini can be reached at spedicini@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5240.

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