A life coach who works with billionaires and Hollywood stars explains what companies and influencers can learn about brand values from Hallmark's bungling of an ad with a same-sex wedding

Associated Press

This image made from undated video provided by Zola shows a scene of its advertisement. The Hallmark Channel says it will reinstate same-sex marriage commercials that it had pulled from the network. Hallmark Cards CEO Mike Perry said in a statement Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, that pulling the commercials "was the wrong decision." (Zola via AP)

• Stephen Lovegrove is a life coach who works with billionaires, Hollywood stars, and hundreds of international clients. Lovegrove is an international bestseller and the host of "Change The World with Stephen Lovegrove."
• Last week, Hallmark received complaints over an ad depicting two brides kissing. After taking it down, they were inundated with backlash - and apologized.
• The controversy shows that Hallmark wasn't clear on what they stand for - which is why they are so easily swayed.
• It's critical for companies to know who they are, and Hallmark went against the identity they've established. They should never have compromised that.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

It's that time of year when cheesy Christmas movies fill the airwaves for nearly two months straight.

Whether you feel delighted or queasy (I'm in camp delighted), there is no denying that the head honcho of Christmas is not Santa. It's Hallmark. Hallmark is the undeniable keeper of Christmas.

And even if you're a grinch, there's no denying that the number of people who watch is nothing short of staggering. Last year, 85 million people tuned into the Hallmark Channel at Christmas. The Hollywood Reporter just revealed that they're on track to surpass that number this year. That adds up to more than one in four Americans turning to Hallmark for some holiday cheer.

But now the keeper (and creator) of the modern Christmas miracle is hoping for a Christmas miracle of their own - one that requires Hallmark-level magic (and possibly help from their writers).

Last week, Hallmark experienced possibly one of the biggest company crises they've faced in the last decade, if not in the company's lifetime.

Activist group One Million Moms (which, it should be noted, has less than 100,000 fans on Facebook) complained about a commercial from wedding-planning company Zola, which featured two brides kissing at their wedding.

Around 40,000 people signed One Million Moms' petition asking Hallmark Channel to remove the ad, and they did.

One Million Moms reported proudly that Hallmark had agreed to remove the ad, and that they had "personally spoken" with Crown Media Family Networks CEO Bill Abbott.

As soon as this news was published, there was immense backlash online.

The Human Rights Campaign brought attention to the issue with their own petition - which garnered over 75,000 signatures - asking Hallmark Channel to reverse the decision and take a stand for equality.

A few days passed with radio silence from the company. They were unable to post anything on their social media without generating thousands of angry comments from viewers.

Finally, on Sunday evening, a statement was released from Hallmark's CEO, Mike Perry, which read in part:

"The Crown Media team has been agonizing over this decision as we've seen the hurt it has unintentionally caused ... Said simply, they believe this was the wrong decision. Our mission is rooted in helping all people connect, celebrate traditions, and be inspired to capture meaningful moments in their lives. Anything that detracts from this purpose is not who we are. We are truly sorry for the hurt and disappointment this has caused. "

This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author(s).