San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
In dumping its offensive labels, Trader Joe’s shows respect
is doubtful anybody was ever offended by Trader Jose. Not really. But that isn’t the point.
On face value, the label that the specialty grocery chain Trader Joe’s used on Mexican food such as Salsa Autentica and its premium lager was the equivalent of a good-natured eccentric wearing a plastic sombrero from Party City on Cinco de Mayo — it was supposed to be playful.
Just like keeping Austin weird is a thing, so goes the fanciful at Trader Joe’s.
If you know Trader Joe’s — the non-GMO, crunchy hipster vibe, the Fearless Flyer, the gummy lobsters and the eye locked on sustainability — you understand the spirit behind the marketing.
Over time, that idea extended to some of the other labels, such as Trader Ming’s on the General Tsao’s stir-fry sauce. And Trader Jacques on the croissant sandwiches. And Bagel Josef ’s Wheat Bagels. And Trader Giotto’s Bambino Pizza Formaggio. You also know that it’s all part of the constantly updated house brand, and it’s all part of Joe’s look-what-Ibrought-you marketing shtick.
But Joe isn’t just a quirky epicurean neighbor with a shelf full of wacky hats. Trader Joe’s is a national chain with about 500 stores; it’s an employer of essential workers, a retailer of essential goods. With offerings such as matcha green tea ice cream, and garlic and onion pistachios, it draws a clientele that is more fussy foodie than fuddy-duddy. And for some, those labels weren’t as cute as they were intended.
Last week, an online petition called the labels “racist branding,” saying “the modifications of Joe belies a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes.”
The petition, which was launched on Change.org by a California high school senior, has gathered more than 3,000 signatures and national media attention as the latest campaign to challenge racial stereotypes by major corporations. More than the labels are involved, but the labels were the main sticking point.
“It’s insidious, though, because it’s subtle,” Briones Bedell, 17, told NBC Bay Area. “They are microaggressions, which is a problem because microaggressions inevitably escalate. And when we accept this baseline level of stereotyping and othering, we’re more likely to accept larger transgressions down the road.”
She’s right. By making Joe the default, the labels made every other version of Joe an ethnic punchline. And while no offense was intended, it speaks to how easy it is to form the foundation for a culture of divisiveness.
Trader Joe’s gets it. In the spirit of being a good neighbor, Trader Joe’s is dropping the labels; the company reportedly has said it decided to do away with the ethnic variations on most of the products in question years ago, and it reports the change will be complete soon.
“While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect — one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day,” company spokeswoman Kenya FriendDaniel said in the Washington Post.
That’s a great corporate reIt sponse.
The company owned the faux pas and explained the original intention. And rather than offering a hollow defense of what it did and has already done, it gave a clear solution. It pointed out that while many of those products no longer carry the offending names, those that still do will be changed soon. The company heard, understood, acknowledged — and pledged to act. Most important, it did so right away, presumably because it understands that having a good relationship with the public is good for business. This isn’t cancel culture; it’s being aware that the daily bottom line is affected by how people feel.
This is how we, the people, should communicate with corporate America. And it is how those in the big chairs should respond, in the tone one would want from a neighbor who unintentionally crosses a line or a friend who unwittingly offends.
Change shouldn’t take years of excuses and uncivil disobedience. All it really requires is mutual respect.