Are boycotts helpful?
Keyword
Boycott = when people avoid purchasing goods or services from a business as a form of protest. The aim is to impact the profit of the business and force it to change.
This got us thinking… are boycotts helpful?
What might the positive or negative effects of a boycott be?
Use real examples to support your view.
Then, read through other students’ arguments and let us know if anyone changes your mind.
This discussion was inspired by unique_expression of Elite Scholars Academy B in the USA. Well done, unique_expression, you have won five stars for having your idea published!
Comments (127)
Hi,
A positive effect of a boycott is it would usually drive companies (or countries) to stop doing the action people are protesting against, which is the whole idea of a boycott, and most companies usually step down. A negative effect is, say a group of people are boycotting coffee, they would have to give up coffee, which a lot of people drink to stay awake in the mornings.
Examples of real-world boycotts are the non-importation agreement (boycott against the Townshend Acts) and the Montgomery Bus boycotts. The Townshend Acts were issued in 1767, and repealed just three years later. Tensions increased a lot between the British and the colonists during the three years, though. Colonists vandalized British stores and threatened their owners. New England and New York merchants agreed to stop importing British goods for one year in the spring of 1768. Eventually, not too long before the Boston Massacre, Prime Minister of Britain, Lord North asked Parliament to repeal the Townshend Acts.
The Montgomery Bus Boycotts started in 1955 and ended in 1956 after the Supreme Court declared segregation on buses were unconstitutional. The boycott started on the Monday after Rosa Parks was arrested. Many black people walked, took a taxi, drove private motor vehicles, and even hitchhiked. Black taxi driver charged a ten cent per ride fare, about the same as a bus fare in support of the protest, until Montgomery city officials gave the order to fine taxi drivers with fares under 45 cents. A civil lawsuit was held in the federal district court, resulting in the case of Browder v. Gayle, which said segregated buses were unconstitutional. The state appealed the decision, and it went to the Supreme Court, which upheld the state's decision.
In summary, based on my research boycotts usually work.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_bus_boycott
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/10/the-hands-that-spun-the-revolution/#:~:text=The%20non%2Dimportation%20agreements%20were,the%20part%20of%20colonial%20merchants.
https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/townshend-acts
Great job doing so much research and citing where you found the information.
In your own words, can you summarise why you think boycotts work?
I think boycotts work because when an entire group of people, which can number in thousands, companies lose a lot of profit from those potential customers, so they have to back down.
I agree with you because boycotts can have both positive and negative effects. They can raise awareness, promote changes, and empower individuals. they can also have negative results such as financial loss to businesses, ignorance from supporters and unintended results, such as harm to innocent collaborator or security damage to related industries,communities etc
Yes! I agree with you chatty_nature, a boycott can be both a negative and positive thing to companies because they can affect people's perspectives about that company and the business can get damaged due to not purchasing goods or services from a business as a form of protest.
I agree because... boycotts can help to raise awareness regarding poor quality or services provided by the company , but every coin has two faces if a product with a higher customer acquisition is subjugated from the market this could result in companies suffering from a huge loss since a regular market and a source of income has been snatched away, this could also affect the merchants and traders falling amidst the chain of market , this could lead to shutting down of various retail and wholesale shops who buy and sell these products to earn a fat profit . Companies prepare their products in bulk beforehand so that the supply could be easy , swift and smooth. If that particular product is boycott then it might result in wastage of these products which could give rise to industrial waste.
I agree because boycotts can teach companies that what they are doing is wrong and they would have to change if not they would be losing profits, also boycotts can cause people to lose their jobs if the business shuts down because of the boycott.
Quite indeed, thoughtful_hedgehog and chatty_nature!
chatty_nature said boycotts can have unintended consequences. One of those is business shutting down because of ignorant leadership.
On a similar note, sometimes people can abandon a boycott, because they just can't resist buying something, or they absolutely need something from the company.
Most definitely. For the people boycotting, it can be positive because the business is finally realizing something bad that they did, however, the company could suffer as their business is going down and they are losing tons and tons of profit.
I agree with you boycotts almost always help to make people do other the things that they want them to do.
But companies also lose thousands of customers every year thanks to boycotts. Boycotts are good for some people, but they are bad to some people also.
I think boycotts are ways of bringing about changes that government of a country can't bring about in a specified time. Imagine a popular business is trying to make profit by raising the price of a particular commodity that they know citizens can't do without . The citizens can report to the government to talk to the company to bring down the price of such a commodity. If the government is slow in taking such decisions the citizens can actually take boycotting as the solution to such a problem.
Yes boycott will work if a group of people boycott to buy the goods from one company. Boycott will affect financial status of the companies. By boycott they can know weakness of companies that make company go to loss and they have have to back down.
I totally agree with you, spectacular_rock because you stated that
A positive effect of a boycott is it would usually drive companies (or countries) to stop doing the action people are protesting against, which is the whole idea of a boycott, and most companies usually step down
which I think is very true but it does also mean that people would have to give up something they like.
Overall, boycotts could have both negative and positive impacts.
I agree because... boycotts even today have shown themselves to be quite effective. For example:
The pro-Palestine boycotts against Starbucks have made a significant bump in the company's stock because of their support of Israel in the Gazan conflict.
I did not know that, but I fully believe it! These boycotts are quite common as a form of protest against companies that say something controversial.
I think it depends on if boycotts are helpful or not. For example, pretend a huge company that basically everyone has heard about gets into a big scandal because they said or did something controversial, and now that scandal is leading to some people boycotting their business. (To boycott means to refuse to buy or use goods made by a certain company or business.) However, if the company is big and known by almost everyone, it's most likely most people won't boycott. This can lead to the business to continue their bad behavior because they know that they can do whatever, and they'll still have loyal customers. In spite of that, boycotts can be helpful if a large amount of people commit to it. Many people boycotting can lead to the company losing money, so they have no choice but to stop their bad behavior if they want profit.
I agree. Boycotting doesn't work at times and the incident is usually forgotten by everybody. Most people may have heard about the scandal Starbucks got in and people started to boycott them but it didn't last long anyway. I say it didn't last long since recently, Starbucks did a collaboration with Stanley and everyone went insane over it. This is why I believe boycotts don't work in most cases.
Namaste daring_passionfruit,
I think your point is quite valid. If a huge and widely recognized company faces a scandal but only a small number of people boycott, it might not have a significant impact. In such cases, the company may continue its questionable behavior, relying on its large customer base. However, I believe that if a substantial number of people commit to a boycott, it can indeed be a powerful tool. I think many people boycotting can lead to the company experiencing financial losses, forcing them to reconsider their actions if they want to maintain profitability. So, I agree with your perspective on the effectiveness of boycotts, emphasizing the importance of widespread commitment to make a meaningful impact.
Thank You!!!
I agree with your opinion that boycotting a business or certain brands may have varying effects. Sometimes, people boycott to draw attention to the business and stop certain practices. This approach can be effective in some cases, but not always, especially for big companies that have a large customer base worldwide. Some customers have become accustomed to the products of these businesses, and as long as they maintain their quality, people may not want to boycott them. Therefore, while boycotts may reduce the number of customers, they may not necessarily affect the business significantly. In my opinion, boycotting can help to call attention to certain issues, but it may not always lead to the desired outcome.
Interesting question - helpful to 'whom'? Those boycotting only, wider society? Would you consider that in the longer term, a boycott could help the company being targeted to make changes, which would ultimately benefit them?
I'm not sure about this because... you are correct in saying that usually big companies don't get affected by boycotting their products however this might not always be the case, for example in 2015 when the food regulatory body of India found out that Maggie noodles contained more lead then permeable limit at that time people were offended and even there loyal customers were hesitant to buy the product which also ultimately lead to a ban on it by government, now after so many years Maggie is back in India. This is the perfect example that if people show resistance along with government support then even large MNC's can be forced to change!!
I agree because the higher the status of the company, the harder it is to bring it down. But what also matters is the cause of boycott. People are sometimes impulsive when it comes to facing those who have an opposing opinion on something. I think we are all aware of the genocide going on at this moment and many people are boycotting several big companies (which has proven effective but it is not easy due to the power they hold). Now the reason for boycotting those who support Israel is noble but we have also seen many people going against big brand names who openly support the LGBTQ+ community. Both are the sides of the same coin but the only thing that matters is wether we are in favor of the sheer right to be alive or demeaning the lives of those who are at risk.
I agree with you that boycotting may depend on the company. An example of this would be McDonalds. The company has been being boycotted for supporting Israel in the Israel–Hamas war that is still going on. While many people are boycotting, a lot of people are disregarding the boycott. While McDonalds is taking a large hit from the boycott, most people are returning to McDonalds due to their efforts to gain back their customers.
well i think that it depends on the situations, but boycotts can be a powerful way to bring about change.
one example is the Montgomery Bus Americans refused to ride the city buses in Montgomery, to protest racial segregation. the boycotts lasted for a year and eventually led to the desegregation of buses.
In most cases scenarios, boycotts are extremely helpful. For example, many big brands and businesses such as Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, and many others are currently being boycotted by a large amount of people due to them saying controversial stuff as in not supporting LGBTQ+, supporting Hamas, and etc.
Boycotts aren't a modern thing. Back then, during 1956, many African Americans boycotted buses soon after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat. This act was called the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Many black people refused to use buses as a transportation and decided to get where they wanted to go throughout walking, biking, and many more. This led to the people who owned the busses to lose a very good amount of profit, so they had no choice but to end the bus segregation if they wanted money.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott as well as numerous other examples of boycotting as in The Boston Tea Party, The Town shed Act, and more have showed that most times, boycotts can be helpful because they leave the business or company no choice but to stop their bad behavior.
Hello daring passionfruit
I am in accordance to what you have said because I feel that any one who does not find interest or disagree to what a company is doing or if an individual feel what a company is doing or supporting something bad, I feel the individual has the right to withdraw from that company.
I feel that boycotts are helpful because when an individual or a country notice that the company supports what is against their values I feel that the country can boycott that company or organization to protect them selves and their citizens from being corrupt. I also feel they are disassociating them selves not just to protect but also to not give them selves a bad name or a bad impression in the eyes of others.
In conclusion I feel that boycotts are helpful so in essence, we should make sure that we are careful for the kind of brands we use to make sure it is not corrupting us in one way or the other. Anything we do, we should know at the back of minds that any thing we do not believe that companies should portray we can easily boycott those companies from our lives.
Thank You!!!
I agree because there are many successful boycotts in history. However, I believe that people need to understand the difference between peaceful protests and riots. Peaceful protests are helpful because It sends the message to who you're protesting efficiently. however, riots put a bad light under the group of people who peacefully , because they are in the same group of people who riot.
A boycott can generally be a good thing, a lot of boycotts in the present day are usually because companies are engaging in controversial world views, such as: not supporting LGBTQ+, being discriminatory against women, and etc.
One of the biggest boycotts that is happening right now is the boycott of all Western products in the Middle East, the boycott is intended to last forever. So far, the boycott has worked tremendously, dropping the price of stocks of Western products significantly, and it has also cost several people their jobs.
Boycotts also happened in the past, a good demonstration of this, is when many African Americans boycotted buses soon after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat. This act was called the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black people stopped using busses, and started using alternative transportation methods, like: walking, biking, and even hiring taxis that were driven by the African-Americans. Black taxi drivers charged a ten cent per ride fare, about the same as a bus fare in support of the protest. City officials then gave black taxi drivers a fine of 45 cents, this resulted in a civil lawsuit, which in turn, resulted in the case of Browder v. Gayle, the case claimed that segregated buses were unconstitutional. The state appalled the decision, then the Supreme Court appalled the decision. Resulting in the stopping of bus segregation.
So all and all, boycotts have proved that businesses are in it for the money, and if you pressure them enough, then they will agree with you, the second fortune changes, they will be your worst nightmares.
I think they might been useful back in the day but nowadays they might be irrelevant. Now we have more technology enhanced ways of stating our opinion. Instead of bothering others like the writers boycott which prevented other from watching a good movies. if there is a problem it would be better to discuss through meeting or more professional ways.
Interesting examples! I suppose the writer's strike did lead to writers securing a deal. Would other forms of protest have been as effective?
I agree with you, currently people are trying to boycott companies such as Starbucks and Mcdonalds. The problem lies within the people, they are not fulfilling their end of the boycott, which is actually boycotting the business. People pretend to stop going to these food chains, but they can't stop going. It has become a routine to go to these places for lunch or on your way to work because of this the business aren't losing out on much revenue so they don't end up listening to their consumers.
These types of boycotts used to work, but now they simply don't. So I think that if we want to make these types of businesses listen then we need to find a new way to do it.
Great comment, but don't you think that stating complaints about a particular brand online might not always be heard?
A company might just overlook a person's comment about their brand and see it as a misunderstanding, because many people haven't yet looked into that aspect of the brand.
I think that when boycotts aren't applied not all people will be satisfied with the brand's services.
Hello! There are many negatives and positives of boycotting. There can also be both in just one situation.
For example, a boycott on Nike that happened a few decades ago caused them to lose much business. They were boycotted for using sweatshop labor for their products. Workers were forced to work long hours at very low wages. A report was released revealing that the workers were only making 14 cents an hour. It released public anger resulting in protests all over the world. Nike initially denied the report.The CEO of Nike, at the time admitted his practice of unfair labor and promised to raise the minimum wage.
To conclude, boycotts are helpful and they do work. They can have a positive effect and a negative effect. As shown in the example, Nike did lose a lot of business but in the end the workers have better job lives and customers can feel satisfied knowing that they have safe products. And now, Nike is one of the most successful businesses in the world today.
Sources - https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/business-studies/business-case-studies/nike-sweatshop-scandal/
I strongly agree with you, amazing_river! There can be many negatives and positives that act as an outcome from boycotting.
One example of an ongoing boycott is in McDonalds, a large food industry. Mcdonald's first came under fire after one of its Israelis - based restaurants offered discounts to Israeli military personnel. This action prompted many customers to boycott the burger joint. Mcdonalds has gone down in business and is losing a lot of money in that joint. This is an example of a negative outcome from boycotting.
An example of a positive outcome is like the one amazing_river said. Nike was boycotted but it now a major business and corporation after fixing their inappropriate actions. To summarize there are negative and positive outcomes from boycotting.
Sources - CBS News
Boycotts have been going on for years and years; people boycott for many reasons such as for moral reasons, protection of the community, and more. Boycotts make a huge impact on businesses as it harms them economically. Recently, the Hamas and Iseral war has been getting a lot of attention; many people have been boycotting Starbucks because they announced that they supported Iseral. The situation has been spiraling online as citizens show videos of people that support Palestine in front of a Starbucks shop protesting and chanting that it supports genocide; this caused Starbucks to lose millions of dollars. All in all, boycotts can make a huge impact on business and companies as they hurt them economically, even causing them to have no choice but to stop whatever the business or company is doing.
Hi, I believe boycotts have always been useful. Boycotts are rooted in America's history. Whether that'd be the Montgomery Bus Boycott or the Boston Tea Party. These boycotts have changed America's history and been a huge part of what the country is today.
Hi
Yes boycotts can be really helpful in bringing about change. They give people a way to express their dissatisfaction and put pressure on companies or governments to address issues. It's a way for individuals to use their collective power and make a statement. Of course, the effectiveness of a boycott depends on various factors, but they have been successful in many instances throughout history. They help the community to ask help from the government
Thanks
Thanks for sharing, and this is a great summary. What are some specific boycott examples that you know about that have brought positive change to society?
Boy scout have made the society better by teaching boys societal values in such a way they are not learning but are also implementation of what their being taught like they don't need to sit in a class or a formal education setting they learn in different environments which they find fun and a place that reflect what they are being taught. Boy scouting has made young people learn value in a fun way
In my view, boycotting has both pros and cons both of which are illustrated by compelling and valid points.
At first glance, when a business does something that the public doesn't approve of and it is improper, it is logical for people to react by protecting against this specific business. However, although strange it might sound, this could actually help the business become acknowledge and aware of their mistakes and under the pressure of publicity try to change their attitude. Putting them in a difficult position, protesting by avoid purchasing items, making comments about them, can help the business improve and come back even stronger.
Nevertheless, boycotting can affect in a substantial extent the way people see the business. If people stop buying products from the specific business, then its economy will "collapse" and the income will be gradually reduced. The business will acquire a bad reputation and consequently it will not draw attention from consumers anymore.
An example for this, is the situation that happened a while ago with popular business named "MediaMarkt". People would buy a product which would turn out to be flawed and as every single of us would do, they would return it to the shop in order to buy something else or ask for their money back. However the specific business refused to serve customers which lead to the receipt of many lawsuits and the obligation to give many compensations to affected costumers. However, even this wasn't a sufficient justification for it not to be closed.
Taking everything in the account understand that, it is important for both sides to be shown but not in a way that it can affect the business in a severe way.
I think boycotts have both positive and negative effects, and I can explain a few.
Firstly, the positive effects. Boycotts can hold corporations accountable, compelling them to reassess their business strategies. For example, Nestle changed its policies in response to a boycott due to alleged unethical water-bottling practices.
Secondly, the negative effects. Boycotts can have unintended economic consequences, impacting workers at boycotted companies and local suppliers. Furthermore, boycotts can polarise society, leading to public debate and controversy, as seen in the case of the Chick-fil-A boycott regarding freedom of speech and LGBTQ rights.
Take for example an everyday product like a body lotion or rolls of tissue, if the company produces quality products it might be arduous to boycott them. I mean what would you do, switch over to another company? It will be hard for some to embrace variation into their lives even if it’s buying that body lotion from another company.
Yes, that company might be as good but the familiarity isn’t there nor is the initial trust. Why do you think people prefer to buy milk cartons that have a known label on them over the others that don’t? It’s familiarity and trust.
Everyone is guilty of it even I, so boycotting will come with difficulty is it we’re and essential famous public brand.
On the flip side, if you choose to boycott, it will be beneficial to you as you embrace the variety and diversify, while also practicing self control, the company will most likely apologize and fix things and reform their old ways
Lastly, you get to use your seemingly insignificant daily decisions to make a positive change in society.
We all have different choices, boycotting can be of advantage to some people, while it can be of disadvantage to some.
And I don't think this will affect business in any way because no matter how high the price can be some people will still purchase that goods.
And did you know that they are some products that when marketers sell it on a cheap price people will feel reluctant in purchasing such goods, because they expect it to be cost than the price which was mentioned,and such goods will be tagged as a fake goods.
So therefore when companies products get cost we should not jumping into conclusion and start boycotting.we should consider their cost of production.
I totally agree with you because for me this is the first time that I am hearing the word boycott, and as I was reading through the details, I found out that boycott means for someone to stop purchasing goods from a particular business, this is shown as a form of protest.
So I think that one of the reasons that boycotting is happening is because their goods are too expensive, so I think that they will have to reconsider by reducing the price of the goods that they are selling. Another reason for boycotting happening is that some products might just have been fake and the customers start noticing this, they bring it to the office, and the people do not do anything about it. This particular reason can make people boycott some businesses and move on to a better thriving business. For example, the price of spaghetti used to be N400 in my country Nigeria and people kept on buying until it finally shot up to N800 and some people started boycotting it for other goods. What I am trying to say is that boycotting is good because it makes the business know what they are doing wrong and to correct their wrong-doings. Even though that the little people that can still afford the spaghetti buy it, the business will still lose because majority of the people that buy the spaghetti are the people that can hardly afford it now.
In summary, I think that boycotting is a good thing for people to do to a business so that the business will recognize the mistake that they have made and they will be able to change their bad behaviors.
In my own view the negative effect of a boycott in business is the following listed below:
1. Lack of business patronage: If people are boycotting the company it Simply means that people are not patronising them example in this present times people are calling for a boycott of Nike because of the brand's partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Transgender is someone whose gender identity differs from that typically associated with the sec they were assigned at birth.
This means that people are about to protest for the end of the business.
If people stop buying Nike they would leave the business and it would cause a great loss to Nike because they have lost their customers and their business.
Another perfect example is the Mistibushi company, The boycott began in may when Jackson and NOW president Patricia Ireland urged consumers to spurn Mistibushi products, particularly automobiles, to protest companies handling of the allegations of sex and sexual harassments and race discrimination at its alto plant in Normal.
The positive impact of boycott includes:
1.It fosters the growth of of a business and gives more opportunities for customers. It forces customers satisfaction because in business customers satisfaction is the key to business growth. It also let's people put their money where their values are.
Thanks
I believe that boycotts are very effective when it comes to doing their job, which is a positive. Many people use boycotts to push businesses to stop doing things that they (the people) do not agree with. Boycotts create an environment where the business will stop making as much profit as it did prior to the boycott, which forces them to not proceed with the controversial behavior. The negative side of boycotts is that it may not always work. If the group of people who want to boycott is not the majority or at least half the business may not do change their behavior to accommodate the situation, the boycott will be ineffective, which causes people to give up things they enjoy because the business producing them does things they do not agree with for a boycott that has seemed to not change anything.
Hello, there are negatives and positives in boycotting, but sometimes there are both in any situation.
For example, the boycott of Starbucks that happened a few years ago. Starbucks employees, former baristas, and Palestinian advocacy groups nationwide were boycotting them because they had to respond to the "unfair" labor practices and a lawsuit over a social media post shared by the union in support of Palestinian rights. This was bad because the company was mad at the workers and made false accusations against them. They stated, “We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate, and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members.” As previously mentioned, this was bad but very bad for the workers and the company. This was their response to the workers. The boycotting caused lots of delayed damages to Starbucks.
To conclude, boycotts are helpful and sometimes they actually work. As I stated earlier boycotting has a positive and a negative effect on the businesses. As shown in the example, Starbucks did lose many employees and money but at the end of the day Starbucks is a big business that even if people boycott them. They will still be getting more and more money.
I think a positive effect of a boycott would be that it would bring awareness to whatever if being boycotted. For example, when Starbucks decided to publicly support Israel, many Palestine supporters started to boycott the company. This caused many people to be more informed about the Israel–Hamas war. A negative effect of a boycott could be that it may cause people to get violent or even blame companies for one small mistake. For example, Goya Foods has donated so much money and food to many different organizations and companies and so many more wonderful things. Unfortunately, the company's CEO decided to make a comment about his admiration for the former U.S. president Donald Trump. This caused many people to get very upset and decided to boycott the company. Goya Foods lost millions of dollars after this incident. Overall, I think that boycotting can have a positive and negative outcome.
Boycotts can be a powerful tool and way to exercise our democratic voice,it is actually effective,Boycotts offer people in the community a way to stand up for what they believe in. If the boycott is well organized, it allows people to stand up for their beliefs in a way that is easy and relatively painless.
examples of the successful boycott campaigns since 2000, including Mitsubishi, Burma Campaign, De Beers, Fur Trade and The Body Shop. Boycotts have a long and important history of contributing to progressive social change, as well as succeeding in their more immediate goals,One of the earliest examples was the boycott in England of sugar produced by slaves. In 1791, after Parliament refused to abolish slavery, thousands of pamphlets were printed encouraging the boycott
I have some really interesting information to share with you about boycotts. Did you know that they can actually have a huge impact on society, both good and bad? Let's dive in and take a closer look!
Firstly, let's talk about the positive effects of boycotts. One of the biggest benefits is that they raise awareness about important social, environmental, or political issues. For example, the boycott of companies using sweatshop labor in the 1990s brought attention to labor exploitation in developing countries and helped to change the industry for the better.
Another great thing about boycotts is that they can encourage companies to change their practices or policies. A perfect example of this is the boycott of Nestle in the 1970s, which led to changes in their marketing strategies after the company was criticized for its aggressive marketing of baby formula in developing countries.
Lastly, boycotts give consumers the power to support causes they believe in with their purchasing choices. The #DeleteUber campaign in 2017 is a great example of this, as many people deleted the Uber app and supported alternative ride-sharing services in response to the company's perceived support for the Trump administration's immigration policies.
However, it's important to note that there are also some negative effects of boycotts to consider. For instance, boycotts can sometimes lead to further divisions and scatter communities. The controversy surrounding the NFL and player protests during the national anthem led to calls for boycotts from both supporters and opponents of the protests, deepening existing societal divisions.
Additionally, boycotts can sometimes face backlash from supporters of the targeted company or cause. The boycott of Nike by some consumers after the company's ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick faced backlash from those who supported the message of the campaign.
In conclusion, boycotts can be powerful tools for social change, but they also come with risks and complexities. It's important to understand the potential positive and negative effects in order to evaluate the effectiveness and ethical implications of boycotts. I hope this information helps you understand the power of boycotts and how they can be used to make a positive impact on society!
You made some interesting points on both the positive and negative effects of boycotting - can you share your sources to back these points up?
Boycotts can be a powerful tool for social and political change, but their effectiveness can vary depending on various factors. Mostly boycotts are effective and even helpful.
Boycott is not a modern thing but has being going on since ancient times. You can see an example of a successful boycott is the global campaign against apartheid in South Africa in 1960.The international boycott of South African goods and services played a significant role in putting pressure on the government to dismantle apartheid policies.
Even today boycotts plays an effective role as we see today also that big brands and companies like Starbucks, Zara, Chick Fill-A, etc are being boycotted due to several reasons.
Many such examples are there where boycott has been successful and the people were victorious in pressurizing the government/companies to accept their demand like Boycott of Nike in 1990s, Boycott of nestle in 1980s, Chick-fil-A In 2012, etc
There can be numerous effects of boycott, Positive or negative.
There can be positive effects like, Raising awareness to the public, To show the unity of the nation, Empowerment, etc
By affecting a company's profits, boycotts can pressure them to change their policies or practices. For example, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the 1950s helped lead to the desegregation of public buses in the United States.
Boycotts can bring people together in solidarity, empowering them to take action on issues they care about.
There can be negative too like Boycotts can sometimes have unintended consequences, such as harming workers or local economies dependent on the boycotted business. Boycotts can sometimes lead to backlash, with supporters of the boycotted company or opposing viewpoints becoming more vocal or taking counter-actions.
But mostly boycotts have been effective and often dont have negative impacts
I will support boycott in my country because those charged with control are not doing their work. Early this year the price of a measure of rice was $1 but now same measure has almost reached $1 and this is not as result if inflation but greed because of the failure of the regulatory arm of government.
If there is a massive boycott, the producers will have to think of who will buy the product and thereby reconsider their price.
This is an interesting comment, but have you made a slight mistake in the numbers?
Hi,
From my point of view, I think that boycotts are very useful. I say this because they impact on a business positively and make them to be more customer friendly. I think they do more good than harm and can help people and even the environment at large, the success it can have in forcing an individual or business to change policies your organization wants to see changed. A real-life example of this is the Delano grape strike which lasted for 5 years (1965-1970) the boycott was against the underpayment of workers, it took a while but was successful and helped a lot of people in California.
I think that the main disadvantage of boycotts is loss of business, this might seem like a small thing but actually affects a lot of people. Let's take the Delano grape strike as example, the people who survive from working in this company and of the products of this company, saw a seizure for 5 years straight in efficiency of salary and products.
Boycotting can also have detrimental effects on corporate performance, particularly in terms of sales, brand image, reputation, and stakeholder relationships.
I think that boycotts overall have the fastest means of changing policies of a business and have more advantages than disadvantages.
THANKYOU.
I agree that boycotting can be an effective way to draw businesses' attention towards their unethical practices that affect their workers or the environment. For instance, if a company is not using eco-friendly materials despite being informed multiple times, boycotting their products can compel them to take necessary actions to address the issue. This can help protect the climate and people as well. Additionally, boycotting can serve as a means to express our dissatisfaction with a product or service and encourage businesses to improve their offerings.
A positive effect of boycott is it helps to drive people from purchasing goods from people who buy goods that are not good or spoilt. A negative effect of boycott is through they protest it reduces the amount of profit a company will make because people will stop buying goods and there will not be any gain in the business.
Well when it comes to boycotts, there can be positive effects or negative and irrelevant outcomes, it might actually be a strong tool to express a need for change or to show dissatisfaction. But it has negative effects it is likely to lead to job losses for workers associated with the targeted companies, it can also cause tension among different groups of people. And even sometimes it might eventually not change anything An example is the Boycott BP that emerged after the deep water horizon oil spill in 2010, to create awareness and change, despite the public outrage and support to the boycott it did not have an impact on the company, it still continued to thrive financially and expand its business. This example show how even a well supported boycott May not always lead to a good outcome.
From my point of view i think that boycotts can be quite important at times. They can have both negative and positive impacts. Let's take for an example the Israel and Palestine war that is still happening. some companies have chosen to support Israel which in return made Palestine supporters boycott any products made by these companies. This made the companies have huge losses in revenue and in market share. But most of these negative impacts can be mitigated if these companies change their perspective. These changes might make them a more loved company and even increase their revenue and market share more than ever.
Boycotts can be very useful as it is useful now in Israel and gaza war. People who are supporting gaza are boycotting israeli products because of this the israel is not getting so much profit. Boycotting product can lead to loss and the brand must need to close their stores. It will have a negtive impact on the brand ambassador as he/she may have to face loss. For eg: If we are boycotting one make-up brand the the sale of that brand will decrease and if we are purchasing that product from another brand then the sale of the brand increases.
Boycotts can have both positive and negative effects, depending on the situation. On the positive side boycotts can raise awareness about important issues and put pressure on companies to make positive changes. They can also empower individuals and communities to take a stand for what they believe in. However, boycotts can also have negative consequences, like impacting the livelihoods of workers or causing financial losses for businesses. It's important to weigh the potential impact and consider alternative ways to bring about change.
I agree because yes boycotts can help us raise awareness about important issues and put pressure on companies to make positive changes, but there are also negative effects for example if the boycott caused a business to close down so many people would be left jobless and let say a person doesn't want to participate in the boycott they might harassed by the others who are in the boycott, so it is important to perform a boycott rationally.
I think boycotts are helpful because they help to tell a business if what they are doing is right or wrong
I'm not sure about this because in some ways, boycotts can be helpful however, in some ways, they are not as helpful. Boycotting a company brings negative publicity and hence forces the companies to change their policies and viewpoints. This can be good for society if a company is not working on good morals. However, ever since cancel culture started, people keep cancelling celebrities, companies, actors and people with a public image. Even the smallest of remarks made by a company sparks outrage in people and Twitter trends #cancelxyz. Cancel culture has become so common that every day, especially in India, people keep cancelling movies, people or companies. So some companies have started taking boycotts lightly. I think boycotting isn't as helpful as it used to be because it has become an everyday thing and not something serious. I am not saying that boycotts aren't helpful at all, but instead that they have lost the true meaning that they used to have. Hence, I am not sure If they are helpful or not.
Good day!
Boycotts are a common way people use to poorly impact the development of a company because of an action taken by them.
In the short run, boycotts will indeed have a positive effect because the company would take the best possible action in order to stop the boycott and prevent the image of their business from plummeting.
However, in the long run the company may simply go back to their old nature after all the attacks against them have died down. The steps taken by a business when they are boycotted are usually just a temporary act to prevent anything from happening to their business. They never actually care about the consequences of their actions.
A good example of this is the boycott against a well known company,Starbucks:
Starbucks faced accusations of supporting Hamas after a pro-Palestinian post from its worker union. Pro-Palestinian supporters then called for a boycott after Starbucks distanced itself from the post. Since then, the CEO of Starbucks had delivered a response to the allegations saying that "Our stance is clear. We stand for humanity".
I wouldn't be wrong to say that Starbucks might only be changing their stance in order to appear better on the media and to prevent any further financial loss.
Good use of information to back up your ideas. Can you provide some sources for this?
Hi wonderful friends,
I believe that indeed boycotts have their good side and their bad side which I would love to talk about in this comment.
Positive: Businesses can take a second thought and realise that they can lose a lot of customers and their purchases will go down so they will change as expected by customers so that they can win their customers back and continue business with them.
Negative: Other businesses might not even bother whether people who protest don't buy their products. They will manage to persuade new customers from different countries ( to purchase their materials) who know nothing about the issue so in this case, that business might not change.
Thank you.
I agree that boycotts have both positive and negative impact.
Positive : Boycotts can raise awareness about social, environmental and ethical issues. By targeting specific businesses, boycotts can generate media coverage and public discourse. Also, Boycotts can be effective to change businesses policies. When businesses face a significant decline in sales, they compelled to address the concern raised by boycotters. For example : A boycott campaign was led by civil rights groups. Major companies like Coca Cola and Delta Air Lines publicly opposed Georgia’s controversial voting law in 2021, influencing the subsequent amendments to the legislation.
Negative : When a specific company is targeted by boycotters. Employees of the company loses their jobs. Their market value decrease, their business layoffs. Even, in some cases boycotts can provoke counterproductive backlash, increased the support of the business. This happen when people feels that the boycotts are not eligible. For example : In 2018, Boycotters boycotts Nike for featuring Colin Kaepernick who is a former NFL player known for protesting racial injustice in its advertising campaign.Despite the boycotts Nike's sales increased.
Hello ,
On one hand boycotts may not be useful as it could block up streets causing a hindrance in people lives . Another problem could be people could get hurt such as civilians and the protesters .
On the other hand boycotts could be really useful for a number of reasons . Let's look at the Montgomery bus boycott .
One reason is it will bring people together for a similar reason in the bus boycotts 40,000 African Americans got involved which meant they got brought together like a community .
Another reason it's can fight against prejudice and racism . We see this in the Montgomery bus boycott when Rosa Parks did not sit at the back of the bus . This lead to 381 days of protest . At the end they got some of what they wanted such as there was now no segregation on public transport .
Thank you for reading
Good day .
Interesting example. Please provide a source for your information.
Hello Molly ,
Thank you for the question . The website that I found this information was Britannica.com which is a history website which is fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica .
Boy cott are to important to business especially a well known brand ,for protection; being a business runner is very risky .Because there many people who has most business runners as their prey.There are many riskin business for examples
(1) kidnapping:This is the commonest risk in business ,business runners are being kidnapped and big ransom called , especially family members .This is a very big risk in running a business,our of fear they spend huge amount of money,some times boys cott are also prey to business runners.In my opinion probably not quite sure of if boys cott are helpful;but most business men have cott for personal protection
Boycotts can be powerful because they can make big changes happen, like fighting for equal rights or making companies be more environmentally friendly. But they can also cause problems, like hurting businesses or making people fight with each other. For example, when people stopped buying from Chick-fil-A because they didn't agree with something the company said, it caused some arguments. So, while boycotts can be good for standing up for what's right, we have to be careful about how we use them and think about what might happen as a result.
Hello, I think Boycotts are very effective way of convicing own point of view. As we have seen the Palestine - Israel ongoing war in which so many hundreds of thousand old people and childrens died. In Pakistan there is Boycott going on, on the products of UNILEVER. Yes there is drop in sales every day so they have started different packages for their prouducts like buy one get one free. It now almost 5 months of war and boycot going on simultaneously but nor war stoped neither Boycott impact here on war. My question there is that inspite of long boycott but still no required outcome i.e injustice with Palestinians childrens???
Hi, boycotts can have a significant positive impact on society. By abstaining from the support of harmful products or services, the risk of sickness, injury, or even death can be reduced. A pertinent example is the Nigerian citizens who, in 2003, boycotted the polio vaccine due to its untested nature and harmful chemical content. The boycott served to ensure that the vaccine was thoroughly tested and deemed safe for use. Nonetheless, it is imperative to acknowledge the negative effects of boycotts, particularly the possibility of harassment or discrimination towards those who refuse to take part. Such actions can be detrimental to their mental well-being. As such, it is crucial to approach boycotts with respect and empathy, regardless of one's participation. Let us, therefore, support boycotts for the greater good, while upholding professionalism, and maintain a commitment to our expertise.
Well, in my view, in order people to be led to a boycott means that they think that something really bad happened and with this way they can show their disappointment towards a company.
It is a kind of protest and I think is is not something that happens often, especially from tha vast majority of people.
But when it happens we all can understand that this is due to an ineffective handle of a company towards a person, a community which implies racism.
So , this company may have a decrease in their profits which is what a boycott wants to aim.
We live in a democratic world where even with a boycott we can express our views.
We can raise our voices towards a company that uses bad working conditions, or take advantage of poor workforce in some countries.
In my mind in order this to be successful a boycott needs to have along and the power of media.
In my perspective boycotts convey messages in a non violent way. They can oppose to any racist opinions towards people or races or draw attention to many environmental threats.
You can press a company to change policies that are not following the general public opinion in an ethical way.
So it is up to a company whether it's reputation will harm them or change perceptions in order to be saved.
Nevertheless we should keep something in mind.
By harming a company we also harm all the staff working there that some of them just follow the companies policy in order ro survive economically.
That's a very valid point about the staff being harmed in the process. How else could you encourage a company to change apart from boycotting?
A really tough question to answer. And that because it all depends on what impact whichever action we take will have on the company.
Fir instance a protest could be another solution but would it be enough to change perceptions of the company? I have read that boycott is another term and different in a way for boycott because it focus on not buying a specific product. This could be better as it focus mainly on the product and what represents and not the whole company itself.
The company can have the time to rethink and reevaluate their opinions.
Hi Topical Talkers,
I believe boycotts can help bring about change...As it is given,boycotts happen 'when people avoid purchasing goods or services from a business as a form of protest'....I feel this is also a way of expressing their nonagreement like sending a message(more like warning) to the government and other businesses when they don't acknowledge the peaceful sayings...
One notable example was the global uproar and subsequent boycotts against companies associated with the Chinese government's alleged human rights abuses particularly in the Xinjiang area...Major clothing brands such as H&M,Nike and Adidas faced customer backlash and boycotts after concerns were raised about their supply chains connections to forced labor in Xinjiang(issue was widely covered by Reuters and Forbes)
In conclusion,i think boycotts can indeed serve as a powerful tool for consumers to voice their concerns and influence change in business or government rules/practices when they turn a blind eye towards them...Thank You for reading!
Interesting points. Please can you provide some sources for your information?
Boycotts are a powerful way to express your opinion and make a difference. By refusing to buy or use products or services from a company or a country that you disagree with, you can send a clear message that you care about certain issues and values. Boycotts can also have positive effects on society, such as raising awareness, creating solidarity, and putting pressure on the target to change their policies or practices. By the way, boycotts are a form of non-violent resistance that can be effective and empowering.
👍
I agree because... a boycott can be used as an opportunity for people to stand out and then speak their mind on why they disagree with that particular brand or product. This boycotting is usually used for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons, to inflict it on the brand that they are trying to paint a bad picture on.
Well, I think that boycotting can be very helpful because during xenophobia in my country, the National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, urged Nigerians to boycott South African goods and services to protest the killings of Nigerians and other nationals living in that country. This chairman advised Nigerians to boycott South African businesses for their protection.
I just think that boycotting is good so that people will be able to have a choice and they will not have to be stuck to that business, they will be free to move to another business if the other business was not thriving the way they wanted it to.
Well in my opinion I think that boycotts are helpful, boycotts expose a business to its weaknesses and furthermore help it to improve, when a business sees that its customers don't buy a product, they will be worried, the business will want to learn why the customers are not purchasing their products, this way the company improves the product's quality and remove faults, both the customers and the companies will profit from it.
Thank you for seeing my views.
Boycotts are when people stop supporting a company to make it change. Some say it'sa good way to fix things, But I am not sure. Boycotts might not work because people joining will not work because people joining in might not understand why. It's like stoping a game with out knowing all the rules. This can be unfair to the company. Also ], it can hurt a company's in equity if they have to make changes and lower prices.
So, instead of boycotting, maybe we can talk to companies and understand each other better. That way, we can find solutions that work for everyone.
Thanks😊!
Personally I think boycotts are very helpful when executed successfully! An example of a successful boycott was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the 1950’s. This boycott consisted of by african american people boycotting buses to protest against segregation within public transportation facilities. (Meaning the black people would no longer have to sit in a separate part of the bus than the white people). This boycott was successful as it lead to the laws changing and making bus segregation illegal.
Boycotts have numerous positive effects but one I want to draw attention to is the fact that boycotts spark conversations and drive thought within people or groups of people. This is crucial as without topics being brought to the front lines of discussion then no change will be made. There is no point living in a society of problems when we can unite and work together to make vital change to make the world better for generations to come.
However boycotts also have negative effects such as them being ineffective. This can occur for many reasons but one being that the company has too much of a strong customer support base. This means that the boycott could turn out worse as supporters of the buisness could counter-boycott and buy more products from the company which would bring them more money and ultimately abolish the effects of the boycott. This could cause may problems such as separation between audiences and chains of retaliation ect..
Boycotting is a great way to spark possible change or conversion about change however we will never be able to conclude a certain outcome on whether it will be effective ineffective or make the matter worse. When thinking about boycotting we must always remember that the outcome may be totally unexpected to the outcome we routed for.
I think boycotts are helpful because people are expressing what/how they feel so they have to boycott the brands/companies. The people who are the company owners will then know how to talk to/address the public. They will also learn to think before they act, react, talk or respond.
I strongly believe Boycotts will have a positive effect on some people, because if they don't want to buy substances from that business, and they start protesting about it I am sure the government will have the business to be shut down, or the business will have less sales leading them into closing down their workplace. The negative effect about boycotts will be the business shutting down, and having to face some rude comments people will be saying to them. If the owner of the business decides to produce another workplace for a different business idea, people won't be happy to buy their product, thinking it will be like the previous one that shut down.
I think boycotts can basically be seen as economic tools used by consumers to effect a change they want to see in a business. I remember when strikes was a topic. I think these two are related. Strikes are used by workers to get their way while boycotts are used by consumers to get their way. Both of them make use of withdrawal so that a business can procure losses and will be forced to heed to their demand.
I personally think that boycotts have two sides. It actually depends on the reason for the boycott and whether or not the business being opposed is actually in the wrong or not. A good example of what i am saying is the Polio vaccine boycott of northern Nigeria in 2003. Northern leaders called out for parents not to allow their children to be vaccinated because they though it was "unsafe". Unfortunately they were wrong and a lot of children died as a result. The boycott was actually a bad idea in this situation because the business or the products didn't mean any harm. The beliefs of the people led then to believe otherwise.
Normally a boycott is used when a business does something wrong like animal cruelty as seen in the case of "The body shop" boycott or causing harm to the environment. This is absolutely okay because the masses have a right to express themselves. But it is not in all situations that a boycott is helpful.
Whether or not a boycott is helpful really depends on the entire point of the boycott. If it is is not going to help anyone then it is really not useful but if the boycott helps to effect a positive change then it is very useful.
Well, boycotts can be useful when they aim to not harm the business and its employees but to motivate people for a very important issue such as the environment or something racist.
Nowadays special media and influencers have the power to make the public believe if a brand is OK or not. But sometimes they mislead the public into products that are as good as they claim and some of them are manufactures into bad working conditions.
Hello Every body,
Boycotts are really helpful to improve the quality service by means of self evauation of the owner. They may analyse different aspects of their business like - quality of their product and service, behaviour of them to customers and public relation of their business.
On the other hand , boycotts might have lots of negative effects. Customers keep on rejecting their goods and services and silently protesting agaist them. If they neglect it, they may bankrupt.
There are some canteens ( small hotels) around our school. One canteen's service is not friendly and sociable. They lack good manner. So, most of my friends and seniors do not like to go there. They are not doing their busines properly. On the contrary, the other canteen is friendly and sociable. They respect their customers with warm hospitality. So, all tables are full every day there.
If we respect our customers with warm hospitality, we will not only earn but also get popularity.
Thank you.
With boycotts you can put pressure in companies and force them to reconsider a bad action or saying they made.
Especially nowadays with boycotts you can increase consciousness on environmental problems or unethical situations.
When a company shows discrimination or treat workers with ni respect a boycott can help.
On the other hand, it can some some negative consequences and harm the workers who have no control over the businesses policies.
In order a boycot to have real impact it should be made strategically
In my opinion, boycotts could be positive or negative depending on the situation and why the boycotts are taking place. For example, if a big brand like Starbucks said something controversial, then a boycotts of their brand would be helpful by causing them to lose profits and stop them from bad behaviors, and could potentially prevent other businesses from saying controversial things in the future.
Also, in the past, there have been many successful boycotts like the Boston Tea Party which caused the American Revolution, which caused America not being under the harsh British's rule anymore.
I'd say that boycotts can be helpful, but it can also cause some problems. Boycotts can be helpful since they can get governments to hear and listen to what they stand for. It can also spread the word and get more people on board.For example because back in the 1960's black people back in the day were doing the Montgomery Bus Boycott and not using the buses, because they were made to stand or only sit at the very back of the bus. White and Black people could not sit together in the Southern part of the United States. Today, in the United States most places do not segregate blacks from whites. However, they can also be negative considering that they could pose a serious danger to others around them if the boycott uses violence.
Journalists face a lot of challenges daily. But one that can put them at risks is when they are send in expeditions in countries where there is war , a fire or any natural disaster..
In order to report the news and report it exactly as they are they try to be near to any of these situations by risking their life.
For me even if they feel that they have to shoe the news as they are they need to put safety first.
I believe boycott can have negative effects because it can have detrimental effects on corporate performances. Boycotts can also ruin business and take away stakeholder relationships. All of this can impact in terms of lost of sales. Boycotts come up short in forcing their targets to give in to demands of protest organizers.
Yes, this is true, but don't people who are boycotting want that certain thing to happen? If boycotting is happing to a business, that more or likely means that the business has done something wrong that resulted in the community as a whole to come together and boycott them. In many inferences, people want the businesses that are being boycotted to be affected in a way that their voices are heard. If there wasn't any dramatic decrease in sales or if the business weren't ruined, the owners of the business would not take the people's voices seriously.
Hi everyone.
I think that boycotts can be both good and bad. Boycott is when people avoid the products of a particular business or company only to cause losses to the company. Boycotts can be both good and bad for both companies and people. As a result of the boycott, the company will suffer first. Because, boycotting will not sell the company's products so the company will not profit but people will be able to buy products from other companies. People should stop boycotting that company's products if they have no other option. This is its bad effect or quality.
But the boycott also has some positive effects. Suppose an unscrupulous trader sells a bad product or an expired product then if consumers boycott those products then it will surely be good for the morning. While it may be bad for the company, it will save lives. Especially diseases like cancer will spread less. Finally, I would like to say that boycott has both positive and negative effects.
Thanks.
some good and bad effects of a boycott is that it can make the business change to how you like it but the way you like it might not make money for the business. and that will lead to the business net having the money It needs to keep going. and that will make the people mad at you for doing what you did or. doing a boycott can lead to the people getting mad at you from the start and it will make someone have to get locked up.
Can you explain a bit further what you mean about people getting mad from the start?
Although I am not entirely sure, in my opinion what interesting-engine was trying to say is that aside from those doing the boycott, there are other people who don't want to get involved at all. These are those who might get angry over the boycott, when more people co operate and protest by not buying a company's product, the company might not be able to still have a firm stand and may experience financial setback. This will majorly affect the production rate of the company and they will not be able to supply usual amount to their wholesalers, many individuals may then fall very short of this product which may be essential in their everyday lives, for example if a soap company is boycotted, it will affect the supply to their customers' home and a soap bar or liquid wash requires constant refill as it is consistently being used , some customers may not be able to change the soap they use as quickly as others because they may be allergic to soap types in their area. In conclusion, there are many ways boycotts have negative effects on the society not only the community and it is equally important to understand that many customers solely depend on a company's products whether knowingly and unknowingly to others and effective protests like boycotts can affect their lifestyle which may result in their anger and disapproval towards boycotts.
Well, I believe that boycotts are helpful to some extent. Boycotts are helpful when people are doing it against something that ultimately hurts everyone. They can be helpful when they help the company change for the better. Although that being said, people have a choice. Like if someone was protesting against Nike(for whatever reason) and says that the company has to change, but that's the thing. The company doesn't have to change,(but if they don't want to lose profits then...). What I'm trying to say is that, a boycott helps when the company changes, but if it doesn't then it's basically useless. And another point is that a company doesn't have to change. :)
I believe that boycotting is useful. This is due to the fact that, in the past, boycotting has gotten citizens the rights they deserve. Boycotting is a type of peaceful (and non-peaceful) protest, which most people resort to. When boycotting certain places, people can get their opinions across to the company they are boycotting or even the government. While yes, the Montgomery bus boycott is very famous for doing exactly that, the Boston Tea party did the same! The Boston tea party was when American colonists boycotted British tea, this got their option on the Tea Act of 1773 out, even if it wasn't a peaceful boycott. This boycott helped with leading to other acts of civil disobedience which contributed to the movement towards independence.
I also agree with this that Boycotts can indeed have both positive and negative effects, depending on various factors. Let's explore some examples:
Positive effects:
1. Raising Awareness: Boycotts can bring attention to important social or political issues. For example, the #DeleteFacebook campaign in response to privacy concerns raised awareness about data protection and online privacy practices.
2. Economic Pressure: Boycotts can exert economic pressure on companies to change their practices. The boycott against South Africa during apartheid is a prominent example. It contributed to international pressure and eventually led to political changes in the country.
Negative effects:
1. Unintended Consequences: Boycotts can have unintended consequences, affecting workers or innocent parties. For instance, when consumers boycott a company, it may lead to layoffs or financial hardships for employees who are not directly responsible for the criticized actions.
2. Polarization: Boycotts can sometimes deepen divisions within society rather than fostering constructive dialogue. For example, the boycotts against certain brands due to their perceived political affiliations can polarize consumers and hinder efforts to find common ground.
While boycotts can be a tool for social change, it's essential to consider their potential impacts carefully and weigh them against the desired outcomes. Each situation is unique, and the effectiveness of a boycott depends on various factors, including public support, the responsiveness of the targeted entity, and the broader socio-political context.......
Thank you.
In my opinion, a boycott can actually be a good thing because it can raise awareness about harmful ingredients in products. This can help people make better choices and spread the word to others. Plus, if sales go down, companies might start using organic ingredients to attract customers. However, it's important to keep in mind that a boycott can also have negative consequences. It can lead to financial losses for companies, which could result in job losses for workers. Lately, with the Israel-Hamas conflicts, people have been boycotting companies that have ties to Israel, like McDonald's and Starbucks. While the intention is to help the Palestinians, it's important to think about the impact on workers in those companies. We should always consider the possible consequences of a boycott before we decide to support it.
Boycotts are a good way to press home your demands. Boycotts are typically used by individuals and labour groups to pressure governments into granting their demands, whether they be for better pay or working conditions. Boycotts occasionally have positive or negative effects, depending on the participants and how they were carried out. Furthermore, a well-run boycott will influence a person or business to change specific policies. People may occasionally decide not to use a product or service. Boycotts have the potential to exacerbate living circumstances, which increases poverty and the number of fatalities. Boycotts that don't entail violence are fantastic. Because of safety concerns, several states in Nigeria rejected the oral polio vaccination in 2003. One detrimental consequence of this boycott of not vaccinating these children will undoubtedly have an impact in the future.
boycotts are not that helpful to the companies that people are boycotting because the companies are facing a lot of losses for example the wars between Hamas and Israel when people found out that McDonalds is supporting Israel first Arabs started boycotting then all people all over the world started boycotting and the company was kind of broke and so happens to every company that we boycott so boycotting to the companies isn't helpful at all
Hi, in my opinion boycotts can be positive and negative. I feel this way, because if a company supports something that may be looked at as wrong, the business could get informed more about the topic; spreading awareness to the company. If the organization is aware they would most likely stop supporting whoever that is wrong publicly. This could possibly lead to them getting the customers back that believe what they did was wrong and unfair. However, boy cotts could also be negative. Why? Simply because most of the time the establishment would lose money. Due to insufficient funds, the operation wouldn't have any money to operate on; causing them to run out business.
Well said, for every good thing there is a bad side, boycotts make a business correct their wrongs, but also make the business lose a lot of money, I think that a business should always think about what their customers feel about the product that will be released this way both the consumers and the producers will benefit, there will be less accounts of boycotts and the business won't lose money.
The positive of boycotts is that the company they are protesting lose customers and clients which allows them to learn their lesson.
The negative of boycotts is that people may need to buy from the company and they could be judged by others.
I think that a good effect of boycott would make the companies stop the action people are hating them for. Most companies would usually stop. However, large companies such as Starbucks and McDonalds which are knows by almost the whole world would most likely keep doing it.
boycott movements have various effects on companies. When faced with a reputational threat from boycotts, firms tend to reduce their political action committee campaign contributions while increasing their CEOs' personal campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures . Boycotts can negatively impact the brand image and valuation of foreign products, but the brand image of foreign products can still positively influence consumer judgment . However, consumers' threat of boycott can lead to unintended welfare consequences for workers and consumers themselves, resulting in a welfare loss . Additionally, consumer product boycotts aimed at curbing child labor can have adverse reactions, causing child labor to rise instead of fall in certain situations . Therefore, while boycotts can bring attention to social issues, they can also lead to unintended consequences and require careful consideration of the specific context before implementation.
I believe that the effectiveness and consequences of boycotts vary widely depending on the issues, scale, and the response of the targeted entities.
Boycotts have many positive effects as they can raise awareness and lead to broader public discourse, potentially fostering change. Similarly, by impacting the financial status of companies, boycotts might lead them to change policies or practices, as observed in the boycott against Nestle in the 1970s regarding the marketing of baby formula in developing countries. The Nestle boycott is also a great example of how boycotts can empower people, similarly to how they empower consumers and activists to raise awareness about unethical marketing practices.
However, where there is positive, there is also negative. Boycotts can lead to many negative effects as well. For instance, boycotts can cause economic harm to innocent parties, such as if there is a boycott on a big industry, innocent workers may also pay a price.
I think that while the war that was between Palestine and Israel, arab people avoid any Israel product because if someone buys an Israel product, he is helping Israel.
I think that the advantages of avoiding Israel products or restaurants(boycotts) are that we will not help Israel and arab products and restaurants can be more popular than Israel products and restaurants. An example for this that an Egyptian drink that is called Espiro Spatis is now more popular than Coca Cola or Pepsi.
The disadvantages of boycotts is that people that work in Israel restaurants will lose their work.
A boycott can have both positive and negative effects on a company or organization. For instance, if customers boycott a company that is not environmentally friendly, it may encourage the company to make positive changes to become more eco-friendly. On the other hand, a boycott can also lead to job losses for employees of the boycotted company, which is a negative consequence. Looking at real examples, the Montgomery Bus Boycott led to the end of racial segregation on buses, showing how boycotts can bring about positive societal changes. After hearing other students’ arguments, it is important to consider all perspectives before forming a final opinion on the impacts of boycotts.
A boycott can be beneficial as it will inforce that the company will review and change their policies , services and prices. However, this may also result in a turn for the worst as they could possibly shut down or lose money.
I really believe boycotts help people express what they believe by protesting. Big companies such as Mcdonalds, Starbucks, Primark,M&S etc. don't care what why as people think, they want to get there profits up for business. When we protest and boycott companies, there profit margins go down and make them want to do something. This gives us a voice and a say in what they do. Muslims across the countries boycott places such as Nike, Mcdonalds, Pepsi and Starbucks for supporting the Israel in the Palestine and Israel conflict which has made some of the companies change their actions and apologise for what they have done.
Boycotts can be a powerful tool for individuals and groups to express their dissatisfaction with a company, product, or policy. They can raise awareness, apply economic pressure, and potentially lead to change. However, the effectiveness of boycotts can vary depending on various factors such as the scale of participation.
You have clearly presented the pros and cons of boycotts, well done. You mention that the effectiveness depends on how many people participate. In what way does this impact the boycott? Do you have any examples?
I think boycotts can help groups or individuals, however it can dramatically adjust the public opinions as it can be positive nor negative, multiple things can make or change someone's opinions such as Religion, Country etc. This can help a company's reputation or help it so it really depends.
i think boycotts are helpful as it allows people to express what they have grown up with and their disagreements with some things . Also some companies do bad without their customers knowing and people can spread the word about that. I think that people should spread awareness of the problems that are causing them to boycott businesses. at the moment i am boycotting companies like Nike, Starbucks, Mcdonalds, LO'real etc because of the problems going on right now in the Middle East. Thank you for reading .
I think that boycotting can be helpful if enough people commit to it. For example, if a big company gets into a scandal and just a small group of people decide to boycott it then it will have no effect on the company's actions. However if a large section of people do, it will cause the company to lose money and they will have no choice but to stop whatever is causing people harm.
I believe that boycotts can work especially if thousands group together against companies that they believe these companies practice. An example of this is the Palestinian Boycott of major companies such as : Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix and more. These boycotts (if in large numbers) can make companies to lose a lot of revenue causing a lot of damage to the company which will force it to rely on its other customers or they will have to stop supporting the people the boycott is against.
I think that boycotting can be both negative and positive. It's negative because the people who are working for the companies (that are getting boycotted) will have to lose their jobs because they are not getting paid enough. But other than that, it's positive because it will raise awareness and help them understand your perspective , which lets other people join in and support your thoughts and beliefs.
I think boycotts can help spread the word about how people fell about that specific companies . Over the year boycotts have been prove that they can bring down powerful businesses with wrong morals or make them change their policies . Personally, I boycotted starbucks , McDonald , l'oreal , Pizza hut , Nike and Puma . I decided to boycott these because of my belief that they are support genocide on a specific region .
Even if boycotting maybe good for you, it may have repercussions in the meanwhile as you are boycotting like mcdonald's, coca cola and starbucks and now burger king is facing being boycotted as well after releasing photos of burger king giving free food to israelis forces in the middle east, are supporting the war in the middle east with israel forces attacking the hamas forces in gaza.
Interesting point. Where were the photos published? Do you have a source?
Hi,
I think boycott is an excellent and useful idea, this shows companies that you have a disagreement and it needs to be solved or else it can impact companies heavily. Nevertheless, there could also be ways in changing things and having an agreement professionally or efficiently, e.g. having meetings, negotiating and discussing how to improve and make everyone feel happy about it. Boycott can hugely change a variety of things as companies can make a huge loss with profit from customers, which causes lack of business and reputation. An example of a boycott is McDonald's as many have discovered that McDonald's supports a group of people that others don't agree with. Although many individuals are boycotting McDonald's, there are others who are not aware and others who are.
If a company has a significant amount of customers, boycotting could most likely not impact the company, since the company is huge, many people won't even bother. This will make an assumption to the company that customers are still buying and that people are agreeing. This can lead to a company to continue doing things that individuals do not highly agree with.
Thank you
Your comment about boycotting big companies being difficult because so many people know and use their products got me thinking. How does would an affective boycott work on a huge, global company? How could you persuade people on such a large scale?
Hi
Many people can partner with other groups who share your point of view; people could also involve other huge companies and ally to form a community so that they can all work together and negotiate about what to do and how to change things which can help to please individuals.
Thank you
i personally think that boycotting can be useful thing because it can have good impact on people so they can have a truthful strategy and having a voice heard {which here in the UK we don't have a voice heard like in America} . Another good effect of a boycott it would mostly drive companies , countries to stop people from protesting against boycotting and most these famous companies will step down and stop these i also think if that boycotts are helpful or not because if they aren't working they wouldn't get money for themselves and then they will blame it on the companies and have a big fight about it and that could also lead to people boycotting their own companies.
thank you
You say that in the UK you don't have a voice unlike in America. What do you mean by that?
Boycott are helpful on the basis of how we see it. If it's intent is really true and not a propaganda backed by ulterior motives then it is helpful. It empowers to make decisions as a consumer as a moral duty being a citizen. It is our role as a citizen. By boycott we can make a change.
But boycott is plausible if it is relatively quick as boycott sometimes do not sustain due to adverse effect for example sanctions on a country affecting global supply chain. If there is something alternative to the boycotted item it may sustain.
For example during Indian movement of independence, in the non cooperation movement, the leaders urged for giving up colonial or foreign products but it didn't happen without promotion of self made products. It can ease the situation boycott sustain for long without interrupting life and really cause a change..
I think boycotts could be helpful. I think this because if a company or brand is boycotted, they could start making changes so that they will get customers again. Like the page stated, a boycott is when customers of a company or brand start to impact the profit of the company by not purchasing any of their items, if a company's profit is affected due to boycotting, they would most likely change to avoid losing money and customers. An example of a famous boycott in the United States is the Montgomery Bus Boycott, it lasted from December 5th, 1995, to December 20th, 1956. The boycott occured due to the unjustified segregation laws on board the bus. The boycott was sparked by the unfair arrest of Rosa Parks, who decided to not give her seat up to a white man. The boycott ended up in the U.S supreme court ruling racial segregation on public buses unconsitutional. Boycotts in many ways can be helpful as a boycott's aim is mostly to decrease the profit of companies due to their wrong doings.
A boycott is when people decide not to buy things from a company to show their disapproval. The goal is to make the company lose money so it will have to make changes. We wondered if boycotts are a useful way to make things better. What good or bad things could happen because of a boycott? It helps to look at real situations where boycotts were used to understand better.
According to me, our boycotts helpful . The answer should be that in somewhere or the other, in some cases, it can be helpful, and in some it cannot be. If the business is gaining too much profit, without thinking of any other person who is applying in it, then will wrong . And in that case, it would be right if that firm is boycotted . The positive effect of boycott could be related to the benefit shared by the people who are applying in the business and the negative effect might be, That there Will be a bad response from the people to the business company. Due to that, the company may face loss also because the image will be damaged but on the other hand, they will also gain a value.
The company will know their mistake and they will try not to repeat it again……..
Also, raising voice against the company who is only working for themselves, and not for everyone, it is correct. It will also make the person (who is protesting) responsible to handle things….
I believe boycott is can be identified in 2 ways.. firstly when people genuinely are against inappropriate things but sometimes people only use 'boycott' to disrespect any particular community...like recently when our honrable prime minister Shri Narendra Modi travelled to one of our islands -lakshwadeep to promote tourism their through social media...but some of the ministers of Maldives critisised him..this made Indians angry at Maldives so they took side of lakshwadeep than Maldives and raised thier voice against the critisism faced by India..this was one situation sometimes people might feel to boycott things related with religion matters..they might boycott movies which they feel hurt thier religious sentiments.. sometimes people even use this term boycott to create a negative image of any particular community or person like some educational movies which are made to create awareness regarding issues like racism,gender inequality,poverty etc are boycotted for no reason to disrespect that person or country..I think as a responsible citizen we should not create such misunderstandings and try to take these issues seriously
You have used a really interesting example from your community! I didn't know about Prime Minister Modi's trip to the Maldives.
I feel that boycotts are helpful in stopping corrupt companies and teaching them how people feel about whatever they are doing wrong. It stops them from making money so that they will learn how people are affected by what they are choosing to do.
Unluckily though boycotts effect people negatively aswell. Lots of people who make a living and earn money by working for that companies might be let go or will have their pay reduced because the companies aren't making enough money because of the boycotts and the companies might be too stubborn to listen to the boycotts and will take the lack of customers and just blame it on the lower class working for them in stores or warehouses depending on what type of business is it.
Boycotts affect positively in shutting down companies or getting them to do what the people want but they effect negatively on people of the working class so we hold only boycott on companies doing something ridiculous or morally wrong not just if they stopped producing a type of cereal or something stupid like that or it will effect people who don't need to be effected.
The positive thing about boycott is that it will stop supporting other countries or cities and also let people put their money where their values are.The negative thing about boycott is that people will get sad because their favourite thing might get boycott. And also the very people they aim to support.
Boycotting companies and brands has both positive and negative consequences. It's very negative according to companies since they can lose a high rate of their profit and financial institutions. On top of that, employees can receive a low cost of their usual or typically earned salary beforehand which in my opinion isn't the employees fault for not being able to seize their right in earning their usual salaries. However, it is not the same with consumers because when they start boycotting companies then they will attract people's attention to start doing the same themselves.
Yes, I believe boycotting can work. I think this because boycotting is when you avoid and do not purchase anything from a business and not buying products means the company will earn less money. If you don't agree in a company's ethics or who they support you can simply just ignore them; boycotting can be very useful if many people do it, less costumers means less money to go into your company.
If you earn less or little money will be not able to pay your workers, taxes and rent eventually going bankrupt. If you want a company to no longer be in existence you can try boycotting, this use of protest may take some time, but patience is key. If you have a small amount people with the same bad opinion on a business, there is a chance a company may not go bankrupt and if you want a change fast you can always have street protests which has been proven more effective.
Boycotting can lead to both a negative and positive effect . The reason I say it can be negative is because depending on the protest it makes others feel offended or even harassed which can lead to consequences. For example, during the bus boycott of Montgomery, African Americans were threatened, beaten, arrested, and more. However, in the end it was worth it because they were able to get their rights and lower the level of segregation.
Boycotts are helpful if you are really trying to get revenge. First of all, if you gather all of your companions, friends, family, you could help break down the companies profit. Sometimes boycotting can lead to serious fails. It could effect the economy very well such as reducing sales of targeted products. For example, boycotting Walmart can lead to it failing its sale.
I think boycotts have both positive and negative impacts. People boycott brands because of the negative news or fake news told by the people. So people stop buying that brand things. Because of these things companies have to face huge loss. Loss is the biggest negative impact. Because of this people put their money in some other valuable business where they can earn money.This is the profit that they understand that this thing is not working so they change their business. The major things for companies are profit and loss, because of this thing some people have to close their companies, some earn a really good profit.
Hello!
Boycotts can be both helpful and complex, and their impact often depends on various factors. Let's consider it in the context of everyday life.
Imagine a group of people who decide to boycott a company because they disagree with its practices. This decision is often rooted in a shared sense of values and a desire to effect change. In this way, boycotts can be seen as a collective expression of consumer power and a way for individuals to align their actions with their beliefs.
On a personal level, participating in a boycott may give individuals a sense of empowerment, allowing them to contribute to a cause they believe in. It's a tangible way for people to make their voices heard and influence companies by voting with their wallets. This act can foster a sense of community among like-minded individuals, creating a shared purpose that goes beyond the immediate impact on the targeted business.
However, the effectiveness of a boycott can be nuanced. Success often depends on various factors such as the size and influence of the boycotting group, the visibility of the issue, and the responsiveness of the company. In some cases, boycotts have led to positive change, prompting companies to reassess their practices. In other instances, the impact may be limited or take time to materialize.
In essence, while boycotts are a powerful tool for individuals to express their values and influence change, their success is not guaranteed. The human aspect lies in the shared commitment and belief that individuals have in the cause, making boycotts a reflection of collective efforts to shape a better world.
Bye!
In my opinion I think boycotts can serve different purposes. In a case where businesses are exploiting the people just to grow profits, then boycott is ok else boycott is detrimental to businesses if they are maliciously done because of competition. On the whole, I think boycott cannot be said to be good or bad, it just depends on how it is used and the motive behind its use.
Can you think of some examples of where you boycotts that you think have been helpful?
Hello,
A positive about boycotts are people get to fight for what they need.When people boycott they fight for what they think matters,and the people have to listen.For example the Montgomery bus boycott Rosa Parks and other people fought to end racial segregation on busses.But there are also some negative to boycotts.Boycotts can be negative because people can die or get seriously injured or even go to jail for standing up for what is right.For example Because Rosa parks ceased to give up her seat to a white man it started a boycott and because Rosa was apart of that boycott she got sent to jail.
I think it's helpful in a way that it teaches a business on how to relate with a community and most of all it brings out the real name of the business and what it was meant to do, after all a businesses is created to make things better.
Boycotts are helpful because the help to stop people from buying spoil goods from producers this can help to brig safety because boycotts are helpful and people now that they are very effective.For example,a seller can intentionally buy spoil goods because he wants to make fast money and plenty boycotts that really do their work around they organization notices and they form a protest to stop that seller.The negative effects of boycotts is that is makes a seller to loose too much profit and for they bad boycotts the intentional pretend to be good and start a protest that is not true and people follow them.
There are many positive and negative affects of boycott depending on their circumstances and goals. like boycott can raise awareness about enviormental issues. For example: The international boycott against south Africa during apartheid played a vital role in pressuring the government to this mental discriminatory systems.Boycott can sometimes igniteblacklash from those who do not agree with the reason behind the boycott. This can result in increase polarization and division within society.
while boycott can be powerful tools for advocating change and making a spacement. They also krecarry potential
risks such as job loss and increased social tension.
Thank you
Depending on the goals of boycott, I believe that there are both positive and negative effects of boycott.
It can put economic pressure on companies to change their policies in response to consumer demands. Boycott can empower individuals and groups to take action and make a difference in a non-violent way which will be fruitful for our community.
If we are talking about its negative effects then it will be it's impact on business and employees. Like when consumers boycott a company or a product. It can lead to decrease in sales and revenue. Resulting in financial loss for the company. This can turn to job loss or reduced hours for employees. It can damage the company's reputation and making it more harder to regain costumers trust.
Thank you!
I feel that boycotts can be helpful in many ways but also can't be helpful since I feel like boycotts can help by impacting the company economy since when once there is a boycott they money statics go down while there is a big problem too because most people either not help since they like liars because people will be standing on the Starbucks line just because of the pink drink but on social media are like join the boycott against Starbucks.
Boycotts can mostly be negative but there are ways it can be negative. In America, there have been many boycotts on stores but these boycotts people destroy and loot businesses and could cause businesses with no cause with any problem to be damaged. I feel as if we are boycotting something why boycott a direct business but direct it to the problem instead? If you think about how much businesses can damage each other it is bad. If boycotting a business for certain reasons it shouldn't be for destruction but a peaceful way to convey a message. Some think that the only way to give a message is to use aggression and violence but that is a way to not be heard but to be fought against.
In my opinion boycotts are useful now you will know why.
Sometimes when we do not boycott people die like what is done in Gaza. Some companies support the wrong participant in a war. When we don’t boycott we pay money to those companies we hen these companies give the money to the wrong participant. Then the wrong participants attacks the participants that have the right to be and keep safe.
Furthermore, that was an example about boycotts, how are useful and not useful.
Thanks ☺️
As far as I am concerned, boycotting is an efficacious approach to express public disapproval of a governmental or corporate decision. This is the case because if a large enough portion of the customer base chooses not to buy products from the said companies, revenue will subside, thus prompting the boycotted institution to re-evaluate the stance they have taken on an issue that diverges from the stance of their consumers.
I think that boycotting have both advantages and disadvantages
During the English occupation in Egypt before 1919 when Saad Zaghloul was Exile to the island of Malta The Egyptians launched revolts against the British to bring Saad Zaghloul to Egypt, and at this time they boycotted English products, so they returned Saad Zaghloul from the island, and Saad went to a conference in Paris
Also, now they are cutting off European products, and every country that supports Israel stands with Palestine to support it
And alot happened in the history of Egypt
Now let's come to the real words boycotting really helps in alot of things most important things boycotting helps in raising the economy in the country by using local products
The disadvantage of boycotting is that the money will go down in alot of industry so they will close and if they close The unemployment rate will rise so it's a double edged sword
Thank you
I think boycotts are helpful because it is the best method to finish a brand or a company there is no violence and it is fair it's just like a SATYAGRAHA a method of protest based on truth and non-violence satyagraha was made by Mahatma Gandhi, let's take an example Well boycotts can have both good and ad impacts As when people boycott so it benifits the people because when people get to know that the company or brand is putting bad effects and efforts so if many such boycotts will be done world will be saved from many dangers and if the company re opens the brands so they may have learnt from their mistakes.
Negative impact- As when people boycott the workers working there would face a heavy loss even though the company is bigger or smaller so this leads to unemployment to starvation to deaths.
Eg- montgomery bus boycott this was the most successful boycott as the story was Rosa Park refused to give her seat to a white American man but the staff there defended him but not to the black people so she did a protest leading to a great change because " black people are even a human only why to discriminate? Beyonce is the top 4 most beautiful women but she is black,we might have seen in movies black people are bad people and white people are the hero /heroine the little mermaid was a great example to support black people and so on the fossil fuels boycott it led to global warming and the earth's temperature rises to 1°f you might think this is only a very few only but this led to melting of polar ice caps and floods occured this caused a great destruction and people boycott this saved the humanity this is only one example but if many more bad companies like no supporting LGBTQ+ and discriminations will be revealed and if boycotts done so the humanity will be saved a lot.
THANK YOU!!!
I believe that boycotts are in fact helpful. There have been many successful boycotts in history. Including the BLM boycotts and the Rosa parks boycott. I think they are useful and helpful because if you chose to not purchase items from a huge brand then it forces them to make a change because their stocks will crash, no purchases will be made making profit go down, and some people will quit their jobs because they know and understand that what they're doing is wrong.
Boycotts can often be harmful or positive towards companies or businesses, people commonly have a harmful intent towards the business. Protests that are preformed with today's time is for Palestine, people that are supporting Palestine have typically stopped supporting businesses that are for Israel, an example of this is Starbucks, a coffee based company that supports Israel. Starbucks has been said to been going bankrupt due to their support, people also tend to protest outside Starbucks, causing noise, disturbance, and employees to quit.
A positive take can be for the people who are boycotting, they sometimes accomplish their goals for companies to stop supporting certain things.
A boycott can have positive effects by raising awareness about an issue and mobilizing public support for change.It can pressure companies or governments to address grievances and adopt more ethical practices.However, a boycott may also have negative economic consequences, particularly for businesses and workers who rely on the boycotted products or services for their livelihood.It can escalate tensions and lead to polarization between different groups, hindering constructive dialogue and cooperation.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of a boycott depends on various factors, including the extent of public participation, media coverage, and the responsiveness of the target entity to the demands of boycotts.
An example of a boycott would be the bus sit with the African Americans. The African Americans sat in on the bus because they got fed up with continuously having to sit in the back of the bus.
Boycotts can be a powerful tool for consumers to voice their concerns and hold businesses accountable for their actions. By refusing to support a company financially, consumers can send a strong message that certain practices or policies are unacceptable.
One positive effect of a boycott is that it can lead to real change within a company. For example, in 2018, several major companies cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA) following a boycott led by gun control advocates in the wake of a school shooting. This boycott put pressure on these companies to reconsider their partnerships with the NRA and ultimately led to changes in their business practices.
On the other hand, boycotts can also have negative effects. In some cases, boycotts can harm innocent employees who have no control over the company's policies. For example, when consumers boycott a retail store due to a controversial ad campaign, it can result in job losses for store employees who had no involvement in the decision-making process.
I for one think that boycotts are useful. One reason around this is because if you look into the past, you can see that boycotts can change politics and society. In 1955, a woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man. This infuriated the bus rider so much that he called the cops, and Rosa Parks was then taken to jail. Martin Luther King Jr. however, thought that what Rosa Parks did was heroic. He then started a movement by boycotting busses. Martin's strategy was that if less people start taking the bus, bus companies will lose profit and soon would have to give into the pressure of making everyone ride at the front seats. The strategy worked, as bus companies started to lose money. As a result, in 1956, African Americans were able to go to the front seats of a bus. This is why boycotts can influence companies, society, and politics.
I think boycotts can have both negative and positive benefits depending on the business being boycotted. If the business being boycotted is violent, racist, sexist, etc than boycotting the business and causing them to lose money, support, and workers is a positive result. However, if the business is not doing anything in which it needs to be boycotted and people are simply hating on the business than I think that is a problem. Another negative impact is the people who are unaffected by the businesses decisions and yet they have to suffer not being able to go to the business because of the boycott.
Boycotts can be effective and positive but can also be negative. On the positive sides, if enough people boycott a business the business will have to change their ways so they can gain profit but on the negative side, we, as consumers, do not fully know what a business could be doing outside of public view. If a business does not show something because they know it'll affect how their customers will buy their product, it is likely they will not share it publicly. Not only that, but if people are seen as being "overbearing" with the boycott, some people will be petty and purposely continue supporting the business. This can be seen in real time with Starbucks and McDonalds. When someone posts themselves eating McDonalds or Starbucks on social media now, they are more likely to get hated on for supporting an immoral company and others will purposely say stuff like "anyways" to discourage the boycott.
I feel boycotts are not helpful. Boycotts are a withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest ,and many people are not just going to stop going to a certain shop or use a certain brand just for the sake of other peoples arguments and disagreements.
An example of a positive effect of a boycott can include, a company that sells houses might sell the house at high prices, so if people stop buying houses the company will be forced to lower the prices. An example of a negative effect of a boycott can include, having to stay at a place with a high rent but since there is a boycott someone is a part of they can't move to a different place. If someone is a part of a boycott to lower house prices but they need to move because their rent is to high boycotts can be helpful unless they last to long and no one else can buy a house when they need to and they are not a part of the boycott.
Boycotts in the past had massive impact. The boycotting of Florida orange juice during the late 1970s because their spokeswoman Anita Bryant was notoriously against LGBTQIA+ rights is one such example. In just 3 years, Florida orange juice companies dropped Bryant as spokeswoman because of her anti-progressive opinions.
Hello,
I honestly think a boycott can be good or bad depending on which side you are on for example if you are addicted to something like mcdonalds (or any brand really) a boycott against mcdonald's wouldn't be very nice for you
(especially if you don't want the brand to change) but better for others who hate the brand
thank you for reading
I beieve that everything have their negative and positive both sides. Boycott also have negative and positive effects on bussiness. I think that boyott are helpful because they offer people in the community a way to stand up for what they believe in. If the boycott will be well managed, it will helps people to stand up for their own opinion in a way.These points are also positive effects of boycott.
They also have some negative effects. like: It harm the economy by reducng targeted sales of produts, it can determental effects on corporate performance in the terms of branding, sales, image and repution of brand, etc.
Boycotts can be really helpful when they convey a worldwide message.
People can not for example support businesses that include racist views or anything that denotes inequality.
The public has the power to turn the back to them so as to make them think what it's right.
A business should respect people of different backgrounds and of course the environment.
If they only care about profit, then this will turn into a boomerang effect to them.
Hello tropical talkers,
In my opinion i think that boycotts are helpful because it tells us what is right or wrong and what is bad and what is good and i think it can help us a lot if they for example if they support Israel or they support Russia and for example they drink Starbucks and Israel and Mc donalds they support Israel.
I think boycotts is very useful at least all of us can boycotts of course paying money is much useful than boycotts but all of us can boycott at all what I want to say that boycotts is very useful and all of us can do it
Boycotts on politic situations such as a group of people getting hurt/damaged unfairly can be helpful because if a big amount of people decides to boycott together which might cause a company to backup. Also, it helps the working together connections between people and makes awareness about what you might help while you just want to buy something.
n my view, boycotts can really create a commotion with respect to further developing society, but it's not commonly a slam dunk. Permit me to isolate it for you. Take the Montgomery Transport Boycott, for instance. It was a special benefit, zeroing in on racial segregation and pushing for huge social fairness changes. That is the power of a first class boycott - it gets people talking and powers movement. In any case, we shouldn't ignore the burdens. Right when associations persevere through a shot, it can mean individuals losing their positions or guiltless eyewitnesses getting harmed. Also, on occasion boycotts end up making more naughtiness, secluding networks rather than joining them. Moreover, there's no confirmation they'll achieve what they set out to do, which could provoke some serious blowback. Regardless, I'm not limiting boycotts overall. When done keenly and with a heart, they can be a power for good, knocking society in the right heading. Everything spins around using them cautiously and for the right reasons, looking out for the ground breaking strategy of making the world an unrivaled spot.
In my opinion, boycott can be a double- edged weapon. In addition to being a peaceful protest against something without the use of violence. Boycotting may cause economic problems by reducing sales and companies' reputation can be damaged. Also, workers are at risk of losing their jobs as a result of boycott.
A positive effect of boycotts is that it will get a business less money. People usually boycott a business if it's bad. But that could also be a negative effect. The boycott can really hurt the economy because now its not getting any money from the business that people are boycotting.
I think boycotts are helpful because when a business is being told by so many people that they should make a change they will most likely listen as it can help the business.
on my opinion boycotts are very important in these days let's talk about the war between israel and palestine there is a lot of countries support israel and give them arms to kill palestine people but Gaza no one supports it so if we want to help Gaza we must boycott the companies that support Israel and We can use the alternative of them so they will not have any money to get arms to kill the palestine people so the boycott is very important and useful.
Boycotts are helpful as long as the business that people are boycotting is bad. If the business supports something that is very controversial or bad, people will boycott it. For example, a business may be supporting the genocide that is going on, people have been boycotting that business. After people boycott the business, it will not get any money. It might even need to shut down.