Companies that cut their ties with the NRA are falling out of favor with Republican voters

Mary Hanbury

Feb 28, 2018, 21:47 IST

Companies that cut their ties with the NRA are falling out of favor with Republican voters

Thompson Reuters

MetLife cut ties with the NRA Friday.

More than a dozen companies have cut ties with the NRA following boycott threats from gun-control activists.
Now, people who support the NRA are threatening to boycott the companies that cut ties with the gun-rights organization.
A survey done by market research firm Morning Consult found that several companies who had cut business ties with the NRA saw their favorability decline in the eyes of Republicans.

Companies that severed ties with the National Rifle Association in the wake of anti-NRA boycott threats are facing backlash from Republicans.

An online survey done by market-research firm Morning Consult of 2,201 US adults between February 23 and February 25 found that registered Republicans had lowered their opinions of companies that cut ties with the NRA.

The NRA has partnerships with companies that offer members special deals, such as discounts on car rentals or hotel bookings. Insurance behemoth MetLife, which announced it would be stopping its discounts for NRA members on Friday, was one of them.

"We value all our customers but have decided to end our discount program with the NRA," a representative said in an emailed statement to Business Insider.

Before learning that MetLife had cut ties with the NRA, 50% of Republicans who responded to the poll said they had a favorable view of the company, compared to 10% with an unfavorable view. After being informed of MetLife's decision, the ratings changed to 29% favorable and 44% unfavorable, the survey showed.

MetLife is not alone. Several other companies, including Delta Air Lines and Enterprise Rent-a-Car, have faced a backlash online.

"Since you decided to join politics and drop the NRA, I will no longer do business with you. I'll take my business elsewhere," one person wrote on Enterprise Rent-A-Car's Facebook page.

Others have come out in support of the news.

Morning Consult's survey showed that Democrats overwhelmingly supported those companies that had cut ties with the NRA. It found that while 74% of Republicans had a favorable view of the NRA, 62% of Democrats had an unfavorable opinion of it. Of the companies included in the survey, such as Enterprise-Rent-a-Car, Alamo, and MetLife, more Democrats said they had a better opinion of these companies after finding out that they had cut ties with the NRA.

Customers are increasingly choosing to shop with particular brands based on political views.

71% of those surveyed by Morning Consult said it's important for companies to take a stance on social issues, compared to 19% who say it isn't important.

58% of people said it is appropriate for companies to take part in the gun-control debate, compared to 33% who say it isn't appropriate.

"Brands are being held to a higher standard than they have been in the past," Mimi Chakravorti, executive director of strategy at the brand-consulting firm Landor, told Morning Consult. "People are making decisions on the brands that they choose to affiliate with based on how brands behave."