Boycott Insanity

Brittany Trahan started buying DVDs rather than paying for Netflix and Apple TV. Lisa Shannon has been relying on public transit instead of taking an Uber. Brian Seymour has been enduring the cold to shop locally instead of buying through Amazon.

As someone who is critical of Big Tech, I find this to be fantastic. The reason they are boycotting these companies, though, is completely insane. It’s not because corporate America abuses your sensitive data by selling it to data brokers in the name of greed. It’s not because protesters care about keeping mom and pop shops alive. It’s because...

… they believe these companies aren’t doing enough to stand up against President Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown. What?

The month-long campaign, "Resist and Unsubscribe," was started by influential podcaster, and business commentator, Scott Galloway, who said he was increasingly frustrated by what he sees as the Trump administration's indifference to protests and public outrage over immigration enforcement.

As a former business owner, who talked with other business owners, let me assure you, there isn’t a single administration that isn’t indifferent, or gives a damn about what we think.

" I think this is a weapon that is hiding in plain sight," Galloway told NPR. "The most radical act [a person] can perform in a capitalist society is non-participation." Is it possible he doesn’t realize that spending money… anywhere… IS participation?

Boycotting Minneapolis-based, Target, for example, isn’t going to do a damn thing to change immigration policy. What it will do, should the boycott last long enough, is put employees out of work – possibly that immigrant, single mother you’re trying to protect. It’s been reported that hundreds of businesses in Minneapolis shuttered their doors for a day as a form of protest against ICE operations in the city. The reality? They probably closed because protest crowds blocked their regular customers from getting there, or the risk to customers due to possible riots, hence, avoiding a financial loss for the day. Businesses are all about the bottom line; it’s how they stay in business.

Galloway said his website generated about 250,000 unique page views in one day. That sounds good, but page views don’t automatically translate into participants. Realistic expectations would be about two percent, like any normal advertising campaign.

Galloway believes the president mainly changes course on policy when financial markets are under pressure. Maybe Galloway doesn’t understand that deciding to spend $100 at a mom-and-pop store instead of a Big Box store, doesn’t change financial markets. Why? Because mom and pop are just as likely to go Target, use Uber, shop Amazon, or watch Netflix. The local coffee shop is likely buying from the local Costco.

As a former business owner, the most sensible thing to do is keep your own personal politics separate from your business policies. Using your company to make a political statement will only harm your bottom line. Why anger those with opposing views… who may then shop elsewhere to satisfy their needs? What company could possibly be that stupid? Oh, yeah! Reportedly, the ones in Minneapolis.

Source used: NPR