A PR lesson from one of America’s most-hated companies

According to a recent poll, Monsanto is the third most-hated company in America, behind only BP and Bank of America.

But PR Executive Ronn Torossian says this public perception does not seem to bother Monsanto. The company just keeps churning out wins for shareholders, and tends to stay out of arguments it knows it can’t win.

This has proven to be a successful strategy. Sure, there are millions of people who aggressively hate Monsanto, but the company only engages in tiffs when its bottom line is at risk. To Monsanto, public relations begins with keeping stockholders happy. (Perhaps more politicians should focus on getting results instead of seeking to please everyone.) This is why Monsanto rarely engages with the endless stream of street protestors, like those who recently gathered in New York City for the second annual March Against Monsanto. While the company faces lawsuits against GMO labeling and organic farmers, as well as a series of increasingly draconian accusations, Monsanto simply continues to make money.