From the Detroit News:

Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it would buy corporate advertising in gay and lesbian publications in 2006, responding to concerns that it had dropped ads to end a conservative group's boycott of Ford brands...

Public relations experts said Ford made a mistake by putting itself in the middle of one of the country's hottest cultural wars.

Ford abandoned a core principle of corporate PR, that beliefs and business do not mix, said Jim Sanfilippo, senior industry analyst with AMCI, a Bloomfield Hills marketing consulting firm.

In doing so, Ford jeopardized its standing in a very important and growing market segment, he said.

By correcting its mistake -- which was appearing to give in to pressure exerted by the American Family Association -- Ford should be able to move on, Sanfilippo said.

"They are not in the same space with that group," Sanfilippo said. "You cannot satisfy them unless you accede to their beliefs. Ford Motor Co. isn't in the business of beliefs. They believe all purchasers are equal."

Sanfilippo's analysis misses the point. If "all purchasers are equal," wouldn't Ford also limit its customer base by stating, as Sanfilippo does, that the company is "not in the same space" with millions of Christian conservatives?

Let's skip the ideology and get down to brass tacks:

The issue is not whether Ford should advertise in gay publications. You could make the case that if Ford had never advertised in this niche in the first place, the AFA would have never launched a boycott, and gays would continue to learn about Ford products through a host of other channels. See? No issue.

The issue is that the ads were pulled after Ford met with the AFA; the timing generated suspicions. The public would have had the same negative reaction if a gay group successfully pressured Ford to remove ads from "The 700 Club."

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