Efforts by by ColorOfChange and others are paying off. Via NPR:
Coca-Cola Co. has terminated its relationship with a conservative group seen by some as an incubator for a string of new state voter ID laws and a marketer of laws like Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense statute.
The Atlanta-based soft drink maker said its focus with the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, was on combating “discriminatory” food and beverage taxes, not on issues “that have no direct bearing” on its business.
The decision to “discontinue its membership” came Wednesday, just a few hours after the black online advocacy group ColorofChange began a campaign against the company’s support of ALEC.
Kraft Foods also dropped out tonight. Pepsi — an ALEC member for 10 years — informed Color of Change in January that it would not renew its membership for 2012.
The corporate leader for ALEC is, of course, the Koch brothers industries, and many energy and industrial companies are major funders of the group. What is more surprising is that dozens of the best known consumer brands are also big donors. A few of these include:
| Amazon American Express AmericaWest Airlines Anheuser-Busch AT&T Bank of America Bayer Coca-Cola Comcast Coors Dell |
FedEx Ford Frito-Lay Fruit of the Loom GEICO General Electric General Mills General Motors HP Intuit JC Penney Kentucky Fried Chicken (Parent) |
Mary Kay Cosmetics Microsoft Miller Brewing Nestle USA Outback Steak House Pepsi Cola Pizza Hut (Parent) Sara Lee SBC Seagrams Sony |
State Farm Taco Bell(Parent) Time Warner The Travelers TRW United Airlines UPS Variety (Parent) Verizon Visa Walgreens Wal-Mart Wendy’s |
