Identity Commerce

Do you know where the "Republican" restaurants are in town?  Which stores are "LGBTQ friendly"?  What bar is "committed to providing its employees a living wage"? 

No longer is the main reason to patronize a business the quality or price of the service or products they provide to you the customer.  Now, a determining factor in how people spend their money is the political and social leanings of those that operate the business--and those of looking to do business there. 

The precedents are now set.  If my religion is offended by your lifestyle choices--I am not going to offer my services to you.  And if your political leanings offend my core beliefs, I am going to ask you to leave.  "No shoes, no shirt, no service" is going to seem very quaint from now on.

Working in an advertising-driven business, I'm interested to see how businesses will choose to "brand" themselves--so their potential customer bases know that they will be catered to--and which customers will not be welcome.  Names could become very important.  "Ayn Rand Restaurant" should send a pretty clear message to the clientele.  "The Cake Savior", "Rainbows and Unicorns" and "It's Complicated" should make it clear whose "team" those business owners support.  Radio and TV ads for everything would resemble those for prescription drugs--with ten seconds of actually describing the product--and 50-seconds worth of disclaimer.

Or, stores, restaurants and bars could post placards in their front windows and doors with lists of those who are welcome--and those who are not.  Associations could be formed with companies proudly proclaiming to be members of the "Conservative Business Association" and the "Liberal Business Association".  Guess which one will likely have the lower prices.

This actually is not an original idea.  In the days before World War II retail and commerce was often divided along ethnic lines.  Cities had "Italian" groceries or "German" bars or "Jewish" delis--and that is where you felt comfortable spending your money.  But then along came A&P, Piggly Wiggly and the national department store chains that realized you could make a lot more money by appealing to--and marketing to--everyone regardless of background, language spoken or personal beliefs.

And that has to be our hope now as we head into "Identity Commerce 2.0".  Simple economics usually trumps (pun slightly intended) politics.  Just ask the failed socialist regimes of Eastern Europe.