This case traces the origins of and the ongoing conflicts between Ford Motor Company and the American Family Association (AFA). It summarises Ford's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender)-friendly policies and describes its LGBT-targeted marketing campaign, which incited a boycott from the conservative AFA. In doing so, this case study also explains the types of LGBT marketing available to companies and the risks and benefits of each. It describes the scope of the AFA's boycott and the response from Ford dealers and company executives. In doing so, it provides profiles of those individuals active in and influential to the campaigns and boycotts, and it poses questions about audience selection, risks of demographic segmentation, and responding to adversarial boycotts.
