Cracker Barrel: We screwed up big time

[tailfins]

They are pitiful in comparison to their competition.

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From a business perspective, it is still a network worth operating if not operating at a loss. If for example you're in the soda pop business, you don't stop producing ginger ale because cola is more profitable. The race is against zero, not against competitors except for opportunities to gain converts. Would MS-LSD gain viewers by being less nutty and becoming a cheap CNN clone? There already exists a CNN.

[Kathianne]

Their ban didn't last very long. They listened, and knew it would cost them. Kudos to them for "listening". Announced on their Facebook page:

I'm pretty sure that I've posted before that this chain does not make my 'favorite' list. Not. at. all. My dad and my kids loved it, kids still do. Me? Haven't been in one in probably 15 years. However, whether a PR ploy or sincere, this got my attention:

...And, we apologize for offending you...

Whether a business or a politician, truth speaks volumes.

I will go there 'one time' sometime soon. I don't care for the food or the portions, but I like companies that admit when wrong, whatever the reason that gets them there.

[tailfins]

My wife's favorite menu item there is the catfish. When we were first married she thought she was being served a sick catfish because it didn't have any teeth. I explained that American catfish didn't have visible teeth. She thought a healthy catfish should look like this:

[jimnyc]

I will go there 'one time' sometime soon. I don't care for the food or the portions, but I like companies that admit when wrong, whatever the reason that gets them there.

I never cared much for them either. I heard they try and keep you waiting a bit in order to shop in their story. Also read that a HUGE portion of their yearly income is from the rocking chairs that you see so many of when you go there. And while the food wasn't bad, it also wasn't anything great. Just average, IMO, and generally so crowded that I don't even pull into the parking lot. So you can see that I wasn't even a fan of them prior to this, but also wasn't against them.

Like you, I give them credit for their announcement. They could have ignored the feedback. They could have silently put the products back and hoped the negativity went away. But they listened, and had the courage to admit they made a mistake with their customers and apologized. A good business decision, but also a gutsy one.

[revelarts]

I'm pretty sure that I've posted before that this chain does not make my 'favorite' list. Not. at. all. My dad and my kids loved it, kids still do. Me? Haven't been in one in probably 15 years. However, whether a PR ploy or sincere, this got my attention:

Whether a business or a politician, truth speaks volumes.

I will go there 'one time' sometime soon. I don't care for the food or the portions, but I like companies that admit when wrong, whatever the reason that gets them there.

I haven't eaten there in about 10 years myself. I can't remember what if anything i liked about the food.
I've never watched an episode of duck dynasty, and have no idea what products they sell or their faces are on.

But from what i've read they haven't done a thing wrong to deserve the public and financial "shunning" they are getting.

Thankfully cracker barrel flipped flopped back.
but it seems this is going to be an ongoing thing.
chick-fil-a has step back a bit from their position after the flax they got. I do eat there often. even more now.
Businesses can do what they like, but it'd be nice if they held to principals more often rather than just being swayed by the almighty dollar.

[glockmail]

From a business perspective, it is still a network worth operating if not operating at a loss. If for example you're in the soda pop business, you don't stop producing ginger ale because cola is more profitable. The race is against zero, not against competitors except for opportunities to gain converts. Would MS-LSD gain viewers by being less nutty and becoming a cheap CNN clone? There already exists a CNN.

You are correct of course. But it seems that the normal business practice is to maximize revenue and profit, not simply exist.

[fj1200]

You are correct of course. But it seems that the normal business practice is to maximize revenue and profit, not simply exist.

Actually the benchmark is to maximize shareholder value which you can't say that they're not doing based on what you posted. Also MSNBC is not the whole of NBC cable news.

NBC News has a broader and more complex revenue model. It benefits from three cable news channels – MSNBC, CNBC and CNBC World. It also can amortize the costs of its news division across more platforms, including MSNBC.com.This cross-platform model helps NBC News escape the limitations of the broadcast revenue structure, which is entirely dependent on advertising. Cable channels have two revenue sources — subscription fees and advertising — roughly evenly divided. As a result, cable channels can generate far more revenue per viewer than broadcast channels. (See cable essay for more)
By our estimates, CNBC now contributes more revenue to NBC News than any other unit, even though its audiences are small compared with NBC’s network programming. By most reports it is the second-most profitable of all of NBC Universal’s cable networks, behind only USA.¹²
PEJ estimates that NBC News, from its various parts, brought in revenue of about $2 billion in 2010.
CNBC contributed $722.9 million of that, MSNBC $382.5 million and CNBC World (an international business channel) $16.9 million, according to SNL Kagan estimates. Kagan does not break out figures for the broadcast portion of NBC News, but PEJ estimates broadcast revenue to be in the range of about $850 million, up in single digits from 2009.
The NBC News division also makes a substantial profit from its various parts, and SNL Kagan offers specific figures for the cable entities. It projects an operating profit at CNBC of $447.9 million in 2010, up 8%. MSNBC’s operating profit in 2010 was projected at $172 million, up 7.7%. CNBC World’s operating profit was estimated to increase 42.5% in 2010 to $10.4 million.¹³ PEJ projects pretax profit for NBC News broadcast operations to be in the 10% range.

http://stateofthemedia.org/2011/network-essay/

They can make plenty of money as a niche player.

[glockmail]

Actually the benchmark is to maximize shareholder value....

Since share prices are based on potential earnings, growing market share and maximizing profits does that. How does tailoring to a fringe do that?

[fj1200]

Since share prices are based on potential earnings, growing market share and maximizing profits does that. How does tailoring to a fringe do that?

The market doesn't ignore the costs that may go into growing market share; larger market share =!= profit maximization especially when dumping dollars and assets into a commodity market. Tailoring to a "fringe" can still be very profitable, besides your numbers of taking MSNBC only aren't the entirety of NBC cable news.

[glockmail]

The market doesn't ignore the costs that may go into growing market share; larger market share =!= profit maximization especially when dumping dollars and assets into a commodity market. Tailoring to a "fringe" can still be very profitable, besides your numbers of taking MSNBC only aren't the entirety of NBC cable news.

Apparently advancing an agenda means more than anything to these people.

[fj1200]

Apparently advancing an agenda means more than anything to these people.

Umm... what?