Boy, oh Boycotts

A group of vegan college students band together to protest a clothing store that uses furs from an endangered species. They refuse to buy anything from that store and actively try to stop their fellow students from buying from the store as well. What is this?

• Collective Consumer Action

• A Boycott

• A Special Interest Group

• What is A Vegan. Seriously what's a vegan.

Why would a boycott become more infrequent in this day and age?

• Because people have stopped caring about social issues and are not concerned with fixing them

• Because there aren't as many social issues to protest as there used to be

• Because it is easier to protest online where it can reach all of the world than to take time to set up or join a boycott

• Because boycotts don't usually affect company sales so they have been deemed ineffective

A boycott might not have any economic impacts on a company but many boycotts still occur. Why might this be? Choose the best answer.

• To protest humanitarian issues so that the company will react even if there is no immediate economic loss.

• Out of pettiness and spite against the offending company.

• You work for a competing business and need better pay.

• Because some people are really optimistic and hopeful about their cause.

Why might a concerned consumer join a Special Interest Group rather than formulate a boycott?

• Because they know boycotts are basically useless when against large, successful companies.

• I don't know because I've never been in a boycott or special interest group. Why are you asking me this?

• Because special interest groups have more access to the resources needed to cause economic losses against a company than a boycott does.

• Because they wish for both their opinion to be known and to influence their QoL and a special interest group is the place to do that. As well as this Special interest groups work on the issue as a full time job.

Why might organizing a boycott be more effective as a statement opposing something than Collective Consumer Action?

• Collective consumer action raises demand, leading to high pressure against the company.

• A boycott is more of a political statement, which is more powerful than any other kind of statement.

• A boycott focuses more on results by refusing to purchase a product and protesting it while collective consumer action creates demand instead.

Why would collective identity be more important in a boycott as opposed to individual identity?

• Focusing only on your own thoughts and feelings will contribute to and help your cause because it strengthens everyone's resolve

• When every individual feels they belong and are under one cause it'll make the boycott all the more meaningful and powerful.

• For a boycott to be successful it requires everyone to all have the same beliefs and values.

Why would a company respond to a boycott rather than ignore it?

• They are being boycotted for a major issue that could permanently tarnish their name unless something is done

• They need everything to be perfect and they don't want a boycott to hinder them

• Boycotts don't mean anything to them so responding to them is quick and easy

• Changing their policies to accommodate what some people desire is what all companies are expected to do

• They are being boycotted for an issue that they and the majority of people don't care about

How could large scale consumerism motivate boycotts of large companies?

• Large companies, through goals of consumerism, might not take in account social and environmental effects when hiring and when making their products or service.

• Large companies promote consumerism and that is what most boycotts are against so the consumers are motivated to formulate a boycott even more.

• Large companies are the only ones that benefit by consumerism so the consumers are motivated to boycott the company because they feel that there are not benefiting at all.

Why might consumerism be seen as a negative thing in the long run?

• Because consumerism causes people to take what they don't need which means that there is excess waste at landfills which is an environmental concern

• Because companies when making things in bulk might use inhumane means to make them such as cheap labour. As well as this the environment might not be taken in account as well

• Because consumerism is related to capitalism and capitalism is bad because it encourages wealth for the capitalist and leaves others poor

• Consumerism will eventually lead everyone to poverty because everyone will buying things that they do not need.

How could the relation of demand, supply and price be used by consumers partaking in a boycott?

• They know that the less effective their boycott is, the more the sales of the opposing company will increase. Which is what they want.

• They know that the more effective their boycott is, the more the targeted company will suffer. The demand will decrease which will lead to an increase of supply and a lowering of price.

• They know that the more effective their boycott is, the more the targeted company will benefit. With the extra coverage, sales will increase!