The Current L.L. Bean Situation Raises Questions About The Wisdom Of Boycotting Trump-Friendly Companies

A donation made to the Trump campaign by an L.L. Bean heiress coupled with a Tweet by the president elect is bringing up serious questions today about how far anti-Trump protesters will take their divestment initiatives. Earlier in the week, the Maine mail order outdoor clothing company was added to the #GrabYourWallet list, a running tally of brands that ani-Trump supporters are urging people to avoid.

This move came after it was revealed that Linda Bean, the granddaughter of the brand’s founder, gave $60,000 to the Make America Great Again LLC. The amount was 12 times larger than the Federal Election Commission’s allowed donation.

The protest has proved highly distressing to the company, prompting them to issue a response, via Facebook:

The message reminds people that Linda Bean is but one member of the 10 person board of directors and one of 50 Bean family members with a stake in the business. The last three sentences read:

L.L. Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions. Simply put, we stay out of politics. To be included in this boycott campaign is simply misguided, and we respectfully request that Grab Your Wallet reverse its position.

This morning, Trump took note of the story and sent a Tweet thanking Linda Bean for the donation, telling people to “Buy L.L. Bean” and shouting out Bean’s private company, Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine — which sells lobster and tourism experiences (and is currently crashing from high traffic).

Of course, for anyone who advocates not buying products because of an association — direct or indirect — with Donald Trump, the Trump tweet is making the anti-L.L. Bean backlash worse, prompting some to speak out on behalf of the company.

It’s yet to be seen if Trump fans are able to mobilize as a consumer base and will buy enough pairs of the world famous “Bean Boot” to offset the damage, but the situation raises questions about divestment and what it means to rally against a company due to the political beliefs of a fractional owner. The idea of “voting with dollars” is certainly a potent one, particularly when it comes to dealing with Trump, a business man first and foremost. But is L.L. Bean the right target, all things considered? When the political beliefs of one person, who is neither CEO nor chair of the board, are able to put 5,000 U.S. jobs in jeopardy, are people picking the right fights to fight? It’s a thorny issue, but perhaps one that deserves further thought as we move forward.

Shannon Coulter, co-founder of #GrabYourWallet has given the company a path towards getting off the list, telling the Portland Press Herald in an email:

Given L.L. Bean’s strong role as an employer in Maine, its support of many worthy causes, and its obvious desire to distance itself from this lone supporter of divisive candidates and causes, my position would be that the company’s removal of Linda from the board would be a strong enough sign that it, as a company, is truly committed to an inclusive and respectful society. If Linda’s removal from the board were to go forward, I would most likely remove L.L. Bean from the boycott list.

Note that Coulter doesn’t say that Linda Bean would need to sell off her shares, simply that she would have to step away from the board — a move that would certainly speak to the power of social movements, though it may not affect Linda Bean’s bottom line.