"The Apprentice" website loses sponsor
David
Groupon Won’t Place Ads on ‘Apprentice’ Site After Complaints About
Trump
By Douglas MacMillan and Andy Fixmer
Groupon Inc. said it won’t let ads appear on the website for “The
Apprentice” after customers complained about the political views of
Donald Trump, the real estate developer who stars on the NBC
television show.
While Groupon isn’t a sponsor of the show, its ads occasionally appear
on the related site, Julie Mossler, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based
Groupon, said in a statement.
“Enough consumers contacted us to warrant ensuring that we don’t place
ads on ‘The Apprentice’ home page in the future,” a Groupon statement
said. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Groupon Inc. said it won’t let ads appear on the website for “The
Apprentice” after customers complained about the political views of
Donald Trump, the real estate developer who stars on the NBC
television show.
While Groupon isn’t a sponsor of the show, its ads occasionally appear
on the related site, Julie Mossler, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based
Groupon, said in a statement.
“Enough consumers contacted us to warrant ensuring that we don’t place
ads on ‘The Apprentice’ home page in the future,” the statement said.
“This isn’t a political statement, it’s avoiding intentionally
upsetting a segment of our customers.”
Trump, who’s considering a run for the White House, has called on
President Barack Obama to present documents proving he was born in the
U.S., joining the ranks of so-called birther movement that questions
his citizenship. The president released a copy of his long-form birth
certificate this week, decrying the “silliness” of the debate.
Rebecca Marks, a spokeswoman for NBC Entertainment in Los Angeles,
didn’t immediately comment yesterday. NBC is controlled by
Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) Cathy Hoffman Glosser, a
spokeswoman for the Trump Organization in New York, didn’t immediately
return a message left after business hours.
Political activist website ThinkProgress yesterday had urged Groupon
to withdraw its ads appearing in connection with Trump properties.
Sponsors
Australian Gold LLC, a sun-care products maker based in Indianapolis,
is among companies that sponsor “Celebrity Apprentice,” a version of
the show that features entertainers vying to remain employed by Trump
as they raise money for charity.
The company sponsored a single episode and doesn’t plan further
advertising for the show, said Martha Miller, a spokeswoman for
Australian Gold. She said the advertising plans are unrelated to
Trump’s views and that the company hasn’t received complaints about
Trump.