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| Learn about boycotts as tools for social change, including uses of boycotts in the past, conditions favoring a boycott, and how to organize and carry out a successful one. |
We live in a world that is increasingly corporate. Fears of Big Brother are being replaced by the reality of Big Business; all too often, the only thing that seems to matter is how much money is made. Taking care of anything else--such as human rights, animal rights, or the environment--is often a secondary concern at best.
Fortunately, consumers and activists do have the means to change policies and practices they disagree with. One of the most powerful tools for change is the boycott.
Boycotting a person or an organization isn't a new idea. Throughout much of the past century, boycotts have been a popular, effective way to bring about changes to improve our world. Think about the following examples:
Boycotts work because so many people are willing to take part in them. According to an article in Newsweek (see Resources), it's estimated that almost twenty percent of Americans take part in boycotts for something (or somethings) they believe in. What's more, people who take part in boycotts are usually people with a lot of formal education. From a business leader's point of view, that means people with deep pockets. And you can bet that if there's one thing business leaders pay attention to, it's deep pockets.
Quite simply, a boycott is an effort to convince a large number of consumers not to do business with a particular person or business. Occasionally, a boycott of a country may occur, when another country refuses to engage in trade.
A boycott does two primary things. First, it creates a lot of negative publicity against the organization being boycotted. Second, as a result of this negative publicity, it threatens to the organization's bottom line--its profits.
A successful boycott will convince a person or corporation to change certain policies. Example: A successful boycottIn the 1970s, the Nestle Corporation attracted world-wide criticism for its practice of selling infant formula in underdeveloped nations. This practice was responsible for the deaths of many, many children. Instead of feeding babies breast milk, mothers would use the formula from Nestle. Unfortunately, the water used to mix with the formula wasn't always clean, so it caused many infections. Additionally, many mothers didn't have enough money to buy the proper amount of the formula for their children, and would give them formula that had been significantly watered down. These two factors often led to malnourishment and to death.
Appalled by these practices, consumers around the world began to boycott Nestle in 1974. After ten years, the corporation relented and agreed to change their practice of marketing formula to mothers in the developing world. A sobering side note to this victory, however, is that the company has not lived up to its promises. The boycott has been reintroduced in the past few years.
There are two kinds of boycotts: primary and secondary boycotts. A primary boycott is a decision not to buy goods or services produced by a certain company whose policies you disagree with. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention has asked its members to boycott the Walt Disney Company because Disney has adopted supportive policies towards its gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees. Generally, when people talk about a boycott, they mean a primary boycott.
A secondary boycott is directed at a third party. That is, you refuse to purchase anything from someone who sells products made by the company you are boycotting. For example, in the early and mid 1990s, there was a boycott against Nike. Its goal was to put an end to the human rights violations that were happening in Nike's facility in Indonesia. That's still a primary boycott, as we discussed above.
However, if people who were angry with Nike boycotted a store, such as the Foot Locker, that carries Nike shoes, that would be a secondary boycott. Secondary boycotts are illegal under U.S. labor laws.
Finally, when a boycott is instituted against an employer by stopping or slowing work by employees, it is called a strike.
A bit of history:The word boycott first appeared in the late 19th century, when Irish tenants became furious at the ruthless rent-collection policies of an English land agent, Captain Charles Boycott. The angry tenants refused to work the lands and ostracized Boycott both economically and socially.
Although many boycotts are usually organized in the same way, they may be used for different reasons, in search of different ends. Some of the most common uses are:
Another way a boycott can be used as an end in itself is when a group wants people to stop purchasing a certain product. Members of the group may not necessarily be angry at a given company; they simply want consumers to stop buying something. The product, not the people behind it, is the focus of this type of boycott. For example, a group might ask parents to stop buying disposable diapers. Instead of asking all of the companies that make disposable diapers to stop making them (not a very likely scenario), the group would be asking for consumers to change their practices.
This use of a boycott as an end in itself is especially common in a case of David vs. Goliath--that is, when the group organizing the boycott feels they may be able to make a small difference, but they probably won't be able to change the policies of a much more powerful corporation.
The biggest advantage of a boycott is, of course, the success it can have in forcing an individual or business to change policies your organization wants to see changed.
Why can boycotts be so effective? Basically, because a boycott is an economic tool--and it's being used against those who are accustomed to holding the economic cards. Dollars and cents is the language for-profit corporations understand best; a boycott speaks to them in their terms (even if they don't want to hear the message!). In fact, a nationwide survey conducted in 1991 found that business leaders considered boycotts more effective than letter writing campaigns, lobbying, or even class action suits in convincing them to modify their practices. (See Mousy Magazine in Resources.)
There are other advantages to using a boycott that aren't so obvious. While none of these reasons is probably enough to start a boycott, they are important benefits to be aware of.
Boycotts are, in a very real sense, an act of war. You are attacking the "enemy" --where it is most vulnerable. And so, we recommend that you organize a boycott as a last resort--when gentler steps just won't work. Whether you are fighting a local grocery store or a multinational corporation, trying to work together to find common ground should be your first step.
Sometimes, however, that doesn't work. It's not always possible to convince the other guys to see things your way, or even to compromise, without pulling out all the stops. In cases like these where nothing else seems to work, your organization may consider organizing a boycott.
If you are considering a boycott, be sure that you've looked at all the angles. Answering the following questions can help you decide if the time is right to go to battle.
There probably aren't any easy answers to these questions--and alone, answers to any one of these questions may not mean a definite decision to boycott or not to boycott the organization. But by looking at the whole picture, your organization should be able to determine whether or not you want to begin a boycott right now.
If you've thought about the advantages and difficulties we talked about above, and made a measured decision to go through with a boycott, then let's go! The steps below give an overview of what you'll need to do to conduct a successful boycott.
As we discussed earlier in this section, there are generally three reasons a group might decide to hold a boycott: as an end to itself, to bring about specific changes, or to put a person or company out of business. What does your group hope to accomplish? Also, think about what (if anything) your group might be willing to give up or to compromise on. For example, you might want a company to increase the number of women and minorities in management positions by 100%, but would be willing to settle for a smaller number.
Alternatively, you might have one long-term goal, but be willing to settle for something smaller, especially in the short-term. For example, a small city-wide effort might have the ultimate goal of forcing a national corporation to stop packaging anything using polyvinyl chloride, the second best-selling plastic that makes recycling much more difficult. However, you may also have smaller goals that you believe the group has a better chance of obtaining. You might have the goal of educating the public about what PVC is, the need for recycling, and what your organization does. Even if the large corporation does not change all of its policies because of your boycott, you might consider your efforts a success.
Whatever your goal, you need to have a good understanding of what makes a boycott effective. According to Cesar Chavez, who led the highly successful boycotts against California grape growers in the 1960s and 1970s, you need to convince approximately five percent of consumers to boycott an organization to make a financial impact. If you can convince ten percent of consumers, the effect on a business is devastating.
Sometimes, however, that's not necessary. Just the idea of a boycott is very threatening to organizations, especially if it is being organized by an organization that is seen as capable of pulling it off. This threat of a loss in business can be enough to bring business leaders to the table to negotiate.
If you are going to boycott an organization, you should know all about that organization--who they are, what they are doing, and why they are doing it. You should be prepared to answer tough questions of all shapes and sizes, whether they come from scientists or soccer moms.Be sure your facts are solid. Generally speaking, people who care enough to participate in social action are thinking people. They want to look carefully at a situation and make a measured decision about what should happen. While emotional appeals can be very strong, they should always be undergirded with facts and logic.
Also, be sure that your facts are supported by trustworthy, accepted resources. For example, a liberal may be less than excited about the newest findings reported in The National Review ; a staunch Republican may scoff at your report from Mother Jones.
There are already many lines of communication open throughout our communities-- through clubs, organizations, churches, et cetera. Use them. Think how much more powerful the boycott could be if four or five or fifty groups like yours asked all of their members to join in the boycott. Meet with groups who can and will put out a call in their monthly newsletter, talk about it at their board meetings, or discuss it in their church. The lesson here? Don't overlook the power of collaboration
The best way to inform the organization you wish to boycott is through a letter, either mailed or faxed to the group's office. Phone calls may not get returned, and e-mail may not be taken as seriously. Letters can get passed around the board room, and there is less room for misinterpretation than a report of a phone call.
When you are writing the letter, keep these tips in mind:
This may be the most important bit. Not only do people need to know the boycott is going on, they need to know why it is worth supporting.
And so, make sure your education efforts.
If someone told you to boycott water, it probably wouldn't make any difference to you why you should boycott it--you simply wouldn't do it. No matter how compelling the reasons--child labor, animal rights, a clean environment--the fact is, you need to drink. It wouldn't work.
Although the different things that a group might choose to boycott aren't as necessary as that water, the point should be clear--if you are boycotting something people are used to having, make sure you can give them an alternative they like. The simple fact is, most people want to do the right thing--but they don't want to go out of their way to do it.
Make boycotting easy for them. If you are asking people to boycott a certain company's products, suggest similar products for a similar (or lower) price. If you are boycotting a store, suggest other nearby stores, and talk about what is best about them. (This tactic could win those stores over as friends for your boycott as well!)
Be careful, however, to research the companies that you are suggesting as alternatives. If they are committing the same sins that you want the boycotted company to correct (or if they're committing even worse crimes), your boycott could do more harm than good.
If the corporations you are boycotting make some changes, let people know. A successful boycott shovels a huge amount of negative publicity on a company. If they do cave in, thank them publicly. Now isn't the time to hold a grudge. Let everyone know what a swell neighbor they now are, and how pleased your group is to support their efforts to clean up the environment or whatever they've agreed to do. Not only is this good sportsmanship, it's good publicity for your organization and your cause. If possible, you might even hold a press conference to thank them and ask that everyone now starts to buy their products.
Keep at it. A boycott is not a short-term scheme. Especially when you're going up against a larger organization, it may take years and years before you achieve results. Be prepared for this, and be sure to celebrate small landmarks along the way.
One good sign is if you are encountering resistance. If you get a lot of flak from the organization you are trying to change, this is a sign your boycott is successful, and that your opponent is running scared.
Although it's important to keep at a boycott, it's also important to remember that sometimes a boycott doesn't work. At some point, you may want to cut your losses and pack it in. This will be a different point for every group--yours will need to decide what is most important, and when enough's enough.
Another option: Holding a "buycott"
A boycott is a well-known way to change things you don't like. But how about when things are going well? What about the companies who are developing policies that you do like? A company may make steps to stop polluting a local river; a restaurant in town may become completely "smoke-free." Organizations that take steps you believe in deserve your support. And just as a boycott is the ultimate economic tool to use against an organization, a "buycott" can be a powerful boost for local businesses. By a buycott, we mean becoming a careful consumer, and buying from companies whose policies you agree with. Then, a buycott goes a step further--as in a boycott, you try to convince other people to do business with that organization as well.
It's easy to feel that we are powerless to change anything in our society. That's one of the reasons that a boycott can be such a strong tool--it gives us the power to live out our ideals, and--if the boycott is well-run--to really change things. The Boycott Action News reminds us:
"But it doesn't make any difference what I do, I'm just one person," the rationalizers say. It makes all the difference in the world. Live your life as though it matters, and it will matter. You do have power, as a consumer. In fact, in the times we live in, consumer action is at least as powerful as political action. Yes, register and vote, but also, be a wise consumer, for in changing your thinking, and then your actions, you are changing the world."
Online Resource
Boycott Organizer's Guide is an excellent resource for planning a boycott and deciding who to target with the boycott.
How to Organize a Boycott offers tips from Dosomething.org.
The Quick Start Guide to boycotts provides information specific to starting a consumer boycott.
On Boycotts Organized through the Internet is a study published by Paul Sergius Koku. In the article, he analyzes use of the internet in boycott organization.
Print Resources
Altman, D., Balcazar, F., Fawcett, S., Seekins, T., & Young, J. (1994). Public health advocacy: Creating community change to improve health. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention.
Avner, M., & Smucker, B. (2002). The lobbying and advocacy handbook for nonprofit organizations: Shaping public policy at the state and local level. Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. This book offers a clear step-by-step guide to implementing a successful advocacy program at both the state and local levels.
Biklen, D. (1983). Community organizing: Theory and practice. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bobo, K., Kendall, J., Max, S.(1996). Organizing for social change: A manual for activists in the 1990s. Minneapolis, MN: Seven Locks Press.
Kahn, S. (1982). Organizing. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Miller, A. (1992, July). Do Boycotts Work? Newsweek, 58-61.
Shragge, E. (2013). Activism and Social Change: Lessons for Community Organizing. University of Toronto Press, Higher Education Division; 2 nd Edition. This book discusses community organizing in a post-9/11 context, and includes a discussion of national and transnational organizing efforts.
Sen, R. (2003). Stir it up: Lessons in community organizing and advocacy. Jossey-Bass; 1 st Edition. In this book, Sen goes step-by-step through the process of building and mobilizing a community and implementing key strategies to affect social change. Using case studies to illustrate advocacy practices, Sen provides tools to help groups tailor his model for their own organizational needs.
Milkman, R. J., & Narro, V. (2010). Working for Justice: The L.A. Model of Organizing and Advocacy. ILR Press. Working for Justice provides eleven case studies of recent low-wage worker organizing campaigns in Los Angeles. This information was acquired through interviews, access to documents, and participant observation.
