By Jannah Bolds
EIC, The Bold Opinion

The Honey Pot Company, a black-woman owned feminine hygiene brand, saw an estimated 50% increase in sales after the launch of Target’s “Founders We Believe In” campaign. Oddly though, the spike in sales didn’t quite come from the advertisement itself, but rather an influx of negative reviews on TrustPilot. The one-star reviews claimed the brand was racist and excluded women of other races.

“The reason why it’s so important for Honey Pot to do so well is so the next black girl that comes up with a great idea, she could have a better opportunity. That means a lot to me,” says CEO Bea Dixon in the Target commercial.

Disdainfully inappropriate reviews like these caught the eyes of Honey Pot product lovers and soon made its way to social media sites. Women across the nation flooded the review site with positivity and even to Target to purchase products in support of the black-owned brand. The sudden wave of reviews and social attention led TrustPilot to temporarily suspend The Honey Pot’s page while their Content Integrity team investigates. “Due to the high influx of reviews, we cannot guarantee that reviews provide a genuine representation of the company.” – TrustPilot

The wave of support was rooted from the understandably frustrating reality of minority women owned businesses; reduced opportunities for funding, limited resources, and lack of exposure. In an interview with Essence, Dixon laid out the details from her message behind the video.

“This was not Honey Pot’s commercial, it was Target’s commercial. It was shot during Black History Month and for Women’s History Month. They chose that particular clip for a reason. I’m here for that story and that’s why I said it. I know that there’s a huge disparity when you look at the funding of businesses. I’m always going to be a proponent of us doing what we have to do so this isn’t even a conversation. The only thing we as Black women business owners can do is make really successful businesses,” said Dixon.

The Honey Pot Company is a complete, herbally infused, 100% natural feminie care system that cleanses, protects and balances sensitive feminine areas. Their products range from refreshing panty sprays, herbal infused menstrual pads, ph balanced washes, and lubricants. Products are available for purchase online, Target, and select stores.

Featured Image Source: TheHoneyPot.co