Dirty Jobs guy, Walmart ad controversy

[EMJ]

So Mike Rowe is making the rounds defending this ad. Isn't the bulk of Walmart's merchandise made in China? Very strange ad.

MarketMeNot » Walmart Work Is A Beautiful Thing Commercial

[dan88911]

Yeah Walmart is a merchandiser. Guess it's just a B.S commercial.
For those that don't any better.
And maybe hired Mike Rowe to make that connection with the working man and women.
I guess that is the demographic that shops most in their stores.

[Robert Adams]

Curious!
I think my takeaway is they're committing to changing how they source their merchandise? The ad is taking about manufacturing jobs, not direct merchandising jobs. I wonder how that squares with their culture & BOARD to beat the living daylights out of their manufacturers to the point it's a rare product in a Walmart store that is made in the USA?
Not sure I trust or believe it, but that's another conversation.

[Gretch]

I would enjoy understanding how the $250 billion is going to be spent to accomplish the stated goals.....

[EMJ]

Seems strange that Rowe would partner up with Walmart with this "message." He's getting some serious backlash. No way to verify Walmart's claims of this new "American made" approach.

[june82000]

I hate having to go to Wal-Mart; especially when they have 24 lines and only 2 or 3 have a cashier.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by june82000

I hate having to go to Wal-Mart; especially when they have 24 lines and only 2 or 3 have a cashier.

Exactly - my number one gripe about buying anything there!

[biosurfer1]

WTF does Mike Rowe have to do with this? He is a paid spokesperson who did a job because they paid him money. Where is the uproar for all the people in McDonald's commercials for serving obesity? Is it because MR is "pro-American" and seen as the regular working man? They claim they are going to spend $250 billion on American made products, seems like a pro-American thing to me.

[daepp]

I think Walmart would source a product domestically if they could sell it. That mean price first, then quality. That's what most consumers want. That's what the souls who shop there want.

Seldom do you enter a large store like Walmart expecting quality.

[daepp]

Upon further thought, it they would spend the $250B on getting rid of unions and relaxing regulation and taxes maybe they could source domestically!

[june82000]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

Exactly - my number one gripe about buying anything there!

Well, where I live there isn't a whole lot of other choices which is one of the reasons Wal-Mart gets such a bad rap. Besides, if it wasn't Wal-Mart it'd just be some other company.

[matt f]

Rowe's interview on CNN was great.
He is not a shill, in my opinion, he wants US companies to make products that US consumers purchase.
I don't understand the outrage.

An analogy may be everyone that is upset with Mike Rowe, why aren't you upset with Hollywood's people doing " I got your six" or recently "wounded warrior" spots?
The message is what counts, not the messanger.

Just my op.

Matt

[EMJ]

Rowe's interview on CNN was great.

He is not a shill, in my opinion, he wants US companies to make products that US consumers purchase.

I don't understand the outrage.



An analogy may be everyone that is upset with Mike Rowe, why aren't you upset with Hollywood's people doing " I got your six" or recently "wounded warrior" spots?

The message is what counts, not the messanger.



Just my op.



Matt

I saw the CNN interview where he was defending the ad. The guy is razor sharp. Talks like a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

[june82000]

I think the idea of Americans only buying 100% American made products is a pipe dream. That ship sailed long, long ago. It won't happen. If it's not China, it'll be some other country such as Sri Lanka, the Phillipines, Macau, India, and so on. American consumers are cheapskates - I'm guilty of it myself. It's hard to find something at a big box store that's even made in the US anymore - I'm talking 100% made in the US. When you do, it's often more expensive than a comparable non-US made product. If you're going to knock foreign made products then you might as well start by chucking your mobile phone and computer in the garbage.

[matt f]

Originally Posted by EMJ

I saw the CNN interview where he was defending the ad. The guy is razor sharp. Talks like a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

CNN kept him on for 2 segments.
He was one of the best interviews I've seen.

[matt f]

Originally Posted by june82000

I think the idea of Americans only buying 100% American made products is a pipe dream. That ship sailed long, long ago. It won't happen. If it's not China, it'll be some other country such as Sri Lanka, the Phillipines, Macau, India, and so on. American consumers are cheapskates - I'm guilty of it myself. As Wayne said, it's hard to find something that's even made in the US anymore - I'm talking 100% made in the US. When you do, it's often more expensive than a comparable non-US made product. If you're going to knock foreign made products then you might as well start by chucking your mobile phone and computer in the garbage.

Or your Porsche parts.

[EMJ]

I think the idea of Americans only buying 100% American made products is a pipe dream. That ship sailed long, long ago. It won't happen. If it's not China, it'll be some other country such as Sri Lanka, the Phillipines, Macau, India, and so on. American consumers are cheapskates - I'm guilty of it myself. As Wayne said, it's hard to find something that's even made in the US anymore - I'm talking 100% made in the US. When you do, it's often more expensive than a comparable non-US made product. If you're going to knock foreign made products then you might as well start by chucking your mobile phone and computer in the garbage.

Agree. I think the controversy is that the ad states Walmart will sell "made in America" when it's known they're the largest importer of the bulk of their products. Just seems hypocritical, the ad.

[june82000]

Originally Posted by matt f

Or your Porsche parts.

Aren't they all made in Germany? I'm kinda kidding, but seriously, I have no idea where they're made. If they're made in China then they should be cheaper right?

[june82000]

Originally Posted by EMJ

Agree. I think the controversy is that the ad states Walmart will sell "made in America" when it's known they 're the largest importer of the bulk of their products.

You're right - I sort of got a little off topic...

[matt f]

They are the largest importer of goods sold to consumers, as far as I have read.
My point is, as well as others, is they are spending $ to change that.
I applaud the company, whether it is pressure to do so or not.
They have pledged a quarter of a trillion $ to rectify.
Good for them.