Boycotts, Buycotts, and CEOs ... Part 3


Posted On: Monday - April 16th 2018 6:23PM MST
In Topics: 
  Political Correctness  Economics  Big-Biz Stupidity

(continued from this post but could follow directly from the previous one)

Eat mor DollFinns



I had some more to say about boycotts and the like, so the previous post was a bit out of order. Who cares.

That list of a baker's dozen companies that one could boycott in order to stand up for Laura Ingraham could be seen as very useful but could also illustrate some of the futility of spending significant time and brainpower to help. As I stated though, these boycotts and buycotts are about the only way individuals CAN make any kind of difference in the political and cultural scene as money does talk. The Chick-Fil-A example of a buycott was so successful, in my opinion that some of the cntrl-left on the other side of that deal, at least the ones with IQs above room temperature (Fahrenheit too!), may really have second thoughts about opening their mouths like this. Good deal. I wonder if it was the best thing to happen to the Chick-Fil-A franchise ever, as once you get a taste of that spicy chicken sandwich, there's no boycott left in you. Whether you like gay people, don't care, or really don't want them around you, you have to admit that the man makes a pretty good bird (sorry, old Seinfeld reference).

Smith & Wesson handguns learned a good lesson about 10-15 years ago when they cowardly caved in to the gun-grabbers on some issue I can't remember. What I do remember is that they took a big hit, and were in bankruptcy. They changed their tune after that. The NRA did a great job in spreading the word, and the gun-owners can be a disciplined bunch.

On other hand, can you take the time and energy upon making any purchase, whether this is "people you should be doing business with"? It can make one neurotic, or at least neurotic-looking, enough to hear the old pretty-good advice "You need to know how to pick your battles" on a daily basis. You may be the one in the restaurant on your first, and probably last, date with a lady saying "No, don't order that! That tuna is not dolphin-safe. (Stick with the melted-cheese sandwiches, made in a good-old fashioned cheese plant in Wisconsin Rahway, New Jersey.)" As an aside, we always had a good one during that dolphin-worry era of a few decades back. There is fish species called dolphin (or mahi mahi), and it's good eatin' too. "Hey, is this dolphin tuna-safe?" we'd ask at the Florida seafood place. Yeah, sometimes they'd get it. I guess nobody cares about the fish, it's all "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" "Dolphins, dolphins, dolphins", a very mammalist, or is it mammary, mentality if you ask me.

The problem will also be that some of these corporations may be on your side in one cultural conflict but have run their mouths or directed their money toward another policy that you detest. You can't have a simultaneous boycott and buycott. By that point, just buy what the hell you need. and get out. You've got to live your life, and things are so complicated that the company marketing people won't have any idea what kind of "cott" they are undergoing; sales go down, and sales go up.

An additional problem is the size and scope of Big Biz corporations. If you don't like what Procter & Gamble is up to, how could you possibly boycott all of their products without basically going off the grid (more power, oops, less power, to you if you do, but it's a big move)? They make all kinds of stuff. Imagine if, as often does happen, you reckon you should stop buying Huggies diapers due to their corporate PC BS (just an example, mind you) and will pay the extra money, just to show 'em, and buy Pampers. Who knows if both brands come from the same company, though, and maybe even the same factory? Big Biz may be laughing all the way to the bank on some of these deals, if the customers are not really diligent.

I guess the wrap-up here is this: When we can, a group of consumers can hit a business quick, if we are individually disciplined. Letting them know why if also helpful*, but the change in the money coming in is like a punch in the gut to them. At least keep it up for a month or two. However, some of the open-ended one with dozens of companies to watch out for are usually not worth it, unless there is an easy switch to make. In the long term, you're probably going to continue eating the chikin you crave ...


* .. such as by leaving stuff right at the counter. "Oh, I just saw on my phone that your company is doing such-and-such BS. Here, keep your stuff, I gotta go down the street. Don't take it personally, but y'all ought to give your corporate people a call." That is both productive AND fun ... BUT borders on neurotic.

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