钱包之战：改变消费者维权行动的格局全新调查报告.pdfVIP

BATTLE OF THE WALLETS: THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF CONSUMER ACTIVISM INTRODUCTION Target, Burberry, Starbucks, New Balance, Marks Spencer. These are just a few of the companies that have recently been embroiled in consumer activist events – as the target of boycotts or the beneficiaries of “BUYcotts” (where consumers intentionally purchase a company’s products or services in a show of support). Many such events trigger dual reaction. While boycotts are not new, they appear to be gaining frequency, intensity and visibility. According to Fortune, between 1990 and 2007, only 213 boycotts were mentioned in the six largest U.S. newspapers. By contrast, in the 200-plus days of its existence, the anti-Trump #GrabYourWallet campaign alone has launched boycotts against over 50 companies.1 Similarly, the UK-based Ethical Consumer Magazine listed 52 consumer boycotts as of January 2018 and offers ethical ratings on 2 over 10,000 companies to its subscribers. With the ubiquity of social media and the rise in polarisation, consumer activism is growing fast and furiously. We have also seen that consumers are increasingly buying from companies they support. According to Weber Shandwick’s research, The Company behind the Brand: In Goodness We Trust, 46% of global consumers are increasingly buying from companies or brands that make them feel happy and good, and 30% are increasingly buying from companies that have a social purpose or strive to make a positive contribution to the world or market they operate in.3 It is within this context that Weber Shandwick explored consumer activism, to understand what differentiates consumers who vote with their wallets one way or the other. Weber Shandwick has examined the many aspects of corporate and brand activism in recent years. Our latest research investigates the motivations behind boycotters vs. BUYcotters, those who actively support companies and brands, as wel