Marketing 101 teaches it's not a smart idea for your product to be represented by someone most of your customer base hates. Marketing 2021 teaches to screw your customers, and instead pander to woke political activists so that they don't get Twitter to say mean things about you. Subway only took the later course and is finding out the hard way how much people hate 3rd place soccer player Megan Rapinoe. You've no doubt seen this commercial. Or the shorter, less annoying one where they cut out as much of Rapinoe as they can.

They didn't cut enough. People who actually eat at Subway (hint: not people who stan Megan Rapinoe) hate her and are telling franchise owners they're at risk of losing their business. Possibly, even going down the block to an actual deli for a real sandwich. Either way, the franchise owners are pissed and they're giving corporate an earful.

Late last month on a discussion forum hosted by the North American Association of Subway Franchisees, a Wisconsin store operator posted a picture of a hand-scrawled note from an irate customer taped to the front door of his shop.

"The ad should be pulled and done with," the franchisee wrote of the Rapinoe spot. "It gets tiring apologizing."

They should be grateful corporate got Rapinoe before she became a Victoria's Secret supermodel. That would have cost them more money.

"Your NAASF Board has already communicated with [Subway] leadership the concerns voiced by NAASF membership," the group's executive director, Illya Berecz, told franchisees, according to a letter obtained by The Post.

"I had a bunch of franchisees calling me on this today," a lawyer who represents Subway franchisees told The Post earlier this week. "They are trying to get the ads pulled."

It's worth pointing out Subway doesn't own any of the stores. They are all franchised, and the stores give the company about 5% for national advertising. However, the franchisees have no control over how that money is spent. The franchisees would like commercials that don't turn away customers. Corporate is more concerned with political activists approving of them and calling them pretty.

Unsurprising, corporate did not respond to the New York Post with a comment.

It shouldn't be that hard. If anti-Americanism appeals to blue state customers, air Megan Rapinoe commercials in New York and California. Hire a spokesman like Tamyra Mensah-Stock for the rest of the country. Unlike Rapinoe, Mensah-Stock loves America. Also unlike Rapinoe, she came in FIRST place.

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Brodigan is Grand Poobah of this here website and when he isn't writing words about things enjoys day drinking, pro-wrestling, and country music. You can find him on the Twitter too.

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