Why the business owner's 'Trump 2024' email went viral, despite being unproductive, from a discourse expert.

After sending a mass email to his custom printing company's customers with the subject line "Trump 2024," Anthony Constantino received a significant number of replies.

The Sticker Mule co-founder's message, which urged an end to "crazy political hatred" directed at former president Donald Trump and his supporters, received applause from some recipients following the July 13 assassination attempt. However, others reacted negatively, particularly after the message spread on social media.

Sticker Mule's post on X has garnered at least 10.3 million views, making the Amsterdam, New York-based company more known for its political stances.

Should leaders be responsible for issuing public statements during politically charged moments? According to Steven Collis, a productive discourse expert and author of the upcoming book "Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic Conversations into Healthy Dialogues," the best way to maximize impact is to keep messaging within the company.

"Assessing the effectiveness of statements in persuading the public is crucial. However, Collis suggests considering alternative actions that may not receive as much recognition but address the same issue."

'We are happy to take some heat'

On July 13, emotions were intense for Constantino, the co-founder of the custom printing services company, who felt it crucial to back the 45th U.S. president.

"I don't care about your political views, but the hate for Trump and his supporters has gone too far," Constantino wrote. "I support Trump. Many at Sticker Mule do. Many at Sticker Mule also support Biden. The political hate needs to stop."

The recipient screenshotted and posted to Reddit an email in which the sender suggested buying a shirt that shows support for Trump, and offered a discount of $15 off the regular price of $19 for one shirt. However, those two sentences were removed from the version that Sticker Mule posted on social media.

The memo sparked over 30,000 comments on social media and hundreds of reaction videos on TikTok. One Instagram user wrote, 'You have my business for life,' while another commented, 'Bye Sticker Mule! I'm looking for a new supplier now. SMH.'

The company issued a $2500 bonus to all 79 members of its customer support team as a token of appreciation for their handling of the threats, according to Constantino.

Constantino stands by his original email, he notes.

"Sticker Mule is known for being a generous and caring brand, and we are willing to speak out against the extreme hatred directed at Trump and his supporters, even if it means taking some heat. Our goal is to make the world happier, and we believe that everyone deserves max happiness."

Do's and don'ts for public statements

Sticker Mule has recently joined the ranks of companies that have become involved in cultural and political conflicts in the past decade, including advertising campaigns and issues related to race relations.

The "Don't Say Gay" law in Florida put pressure on CEOs to speak out, as seen with Disney's then-CEO Bob Chapek publicly opposing the law in 2022. This trend highlights the importance of CEOs addressing societal issues, especially when prompted by employees or customers.

According to Collis, bosses should adhere to certain guidelines when dealing with such situations.

• Do a thorough benefits and costs assessment before sending out commentary
• Before making any public statements, it is important to carefully consider the ethical implications, including potential legal liabilities and impact on work culture.
• Consider alternative actions, such as establishing an employee resource group or contributing to a cause you are passionate about.
• Don't release public commentary just to make yourself look good

Sticker Mule's communication mainly centered on the notion that their political rhetoric was excessively hateful, according to Collis. However, this method is unlikely to convince most individuals to alter their tone, and it may even cause more harm than good, he adds.

Instead of issuing a public statement, perhaps promote roundtable discussions or bring someone in to do training on productive discourse, suggests Collis.

Without expressing his personal views, Dimon urged his employees to engage in "constructive dialogue" following the assassination attempt.

"Our leadership team and I express our deepest condolences to the former President, his family, and the families of those who were tragically injured and killed. We must all stand united against any acts of hate, intimidation, or violence."

"It's a better practice to not take a strong stance on a particular issue," Collis advises. "The benefits of [this message] are much better than issuing a really strong opinion about a current hot topic on which we all have strong opinions."

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