BarkBox CEO apologizes after leaked memo exposes plan to axe politically charged Pride marketing

BarkBox CEO Matt Meeker apologized after a leaked message from a staffer on Reddit exposed the company’s plans to axe marketing for its Pride campaign out of fear it would “feel more like a political statement.”The subscription service delivers dog toys and treats to customers’ door fronts monthly, and has been selling Pride-themed products as optional add-ons for the past four years.“While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people,” a staffer said in the leaked message.The employee argued that if BarkBox wasn’t comfortable promoting “another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it’s worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign.”Meeker, who co-founded the $236 million company in 2011, on Wednesday confirmed the leaked message was from a BarkBox employee and issued an apology on the company’s Instagram account.“The message was disrespectful and hurtful to the LGBTQIA+ community, and as the CEO of BARK, I’m responsible for that,” Meeker wrote.“I do not agree with the content of the message.It wasn’t good, it doesn’t reflect our values, and I’m deeply sorry that it happened.”He said BarkBox is still selling Pride-themed dog products on its site, though he did not comment on whether the company killed its marketing push for the collection.BarkBox did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether the marketing campaign was canceled.The company donates a portion of the profits from the collection to an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit each year, Meeker said.

It will up that commitment to 100% of the revenue this year, he added.His apology followed swift backlash online from customers and former employees who slammed the message as offensive and hurtful.“So @barkbox compared being LBGTQ+ to being MAGA, so if you give a f— about ...