Play of the day: Under Armour CEO publicly wallows in regret for Trump comments
After a week of blisteringly bad press, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank is second-guessing his word choice when it comes to Donald Trump.
Plank bought a full-page ad in the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday to walk back his praise for the president.
The sportswear exec spoke glowingly of Trump in a CNBC appearance last Tuesday, asserting that he is, among other things, a "real asset to the country."
Plank claims in the text of the ad that his words "did not accurately reflect his intent." He goes on to list each of the points on which his shoe company and the commander-and-chief might not see eye to eye — namely, immigration, equal rights and Trump's travel ban.
He also wrote that the company would take "other public positions on legislation around the country in support of the interests of our teammates whenever policy conflicts with human rights."
He also doubles down on the company's earlier claim that his comments were meant only in regard to Trump's promise to create manufacturing jobs.
The non-apology-apology comes after the brand has been pilloried with boycott threats and condemnations from its biggest athletes. The public relations nightmare even led one Wall Street analyst to downgrade the company's stock.
Newspaper ads are a classic move for corporations in damage control mode. The company also distanced itself from Plank's comments in a long statement released the day after.
See the full letter below:
Topics Donald Trump
Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.
