Back in 2013, the U.S. Postal Service and Staples had a great shared idea: mini post offices in Staples stores would give customers flexibility and the postal service some extra cash. Problem is, the folks staffing these in-store post offices were Staples employees, which didn’t sit will with the union representing postal workers. [More]
boycotts
If A Boycott Works, It’s Not Just Because People Stopped Buying Stuff
By 5.17.14
Whenever a company (or a company’s top executive) does something that ticks off a segment of the population, there’s usually talk of people calling for boycotts of that company’s products and services. But can a boycott bring about change on its own, or does it risk only hurting the low-level employees who are probably not the target of the protest? A boycott’s success frequently has less to do with an immediate loss of revenue than it does with the public’s reaction to the boycott. [More]
Barilla President Says Ads Will Never Feature Gay Families, Gay People Switch Pasta Brands
By 9.26.13 — Updated: 9.27.13
Barilla is the world’s largest manufacturer of delicious boxed pasta. Their marketing features a cuddly family eating delicious pasta, associating pasta with “home.” Not all homes, though. In a radio interview, company president Guido Barilla said that the brand would never put out an ad featuring a family headed by a homosexual couple. Gay rights supporters have concluded that Barilla doesn’t want their business, and called for a boycott. [More]
Elvis Costello Tells Fans Not To Buy His Pricey New Release
By 11.29.11
Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello is apparently so bitter at the pricing of his upcoming box set that he’s telling fans not to buy it and to spend their money on Louis Armstrong’s music instead. A post on his official site calls the price of The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook “either a misprint or satire.” [More]
Should Companies Be Held Accountable For Investors' Personal Lives?
By 3.21.11
If the personal life of a Fortune 500 CEO starts making headlines, you can be sure that the investors — and maybe even the general public — won’t be able to extricate the person from the brand. But what about when there is a public outcry against one of that company’s major investors? [More]
American Family Association Calls Off Boycott On Dick's Sporting Goods Over 'Christmas'
By 11.19.10
My how things change overnight. Yesterday, we told you about the far-from-loony folks at the American Family Association who had called for their members to boycott Dick’s Sporting Goods because the retail chain used the word “holiday” instead of “Christmas” for its November and December sales circulars. Now the AFA has announced that it’s called off the boycott because Dick’s will be using that word after all. [More]
American Family Association Calls For Boycott On Dick's Sporting Goods For Not Using The Word "Christmas"
By 11.18.10
UPDATE: The AFA has called off the boycott after Dick’s decided to use the word “Christmas” after all. [More]
'Pit Boss' Star Calls For Burger King Boycott Over Pit Bull Ad
By 9.23.10
Even though the Burger King ad featuring a mail man singing about being chewed on by attack dogs hadn’t been out long enough to be a Worst Ad In America 2010 nominee, we’re pretty sure it will have one semi-famous person, Shorty Rossi of Animal Planet’s Pit Boss, backing its nomination next year. [More]
AriZona Iced Tea: Don't Hate Us, We're From New York
By 4.29.10
While there’s much heated discussion about Arizona’s controversial new immigration laws, the folks at AriZona Iced Tea have somehow found themselves caught in the crossfire, with some even calling for a boycott on the beverage brand. That’s why one of the founders of the company wants everyone to know that, just like inauthentic picante sauce, they’re originally from New York City. [More]
Restaurant Bans Customer For Not Tipping Enough
By 2.26.10
The menu of a restaurant in Winston-Salem, NC, says a gratuity of 15% will be added to parties of six or more. A former customer says she was in a party of three and saw that an 18% gratuity had been added, which she complained about but paid. She said the next time she showed up, she was met at the door by staff and told that she had to agree up front to pay 18% or she couldn’t eat there. [More]
Whole Foods CEO Spurs Boycott With Health Care Views
By 8.15.09
Memo to Whole Foods CEO John Mackey: when much of your customer base consists of reusable-bag-using, wheatgrass-munching “progressive” types, it’s probably not such a good idea to publish an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal criticizing current health care reform proposals. At least if you don’t want said customers organizing boycotts of your stores.
NYC Baker Sells 'Drunken Negro Head' Cookies, Doesn't See The Problem
By 1.23.09
Ted Kefalinos, the proprietor of a bakery in Greenwich Village (a neighborhood in New York City), can’t understand why the media is having such a field day over his Drunken Negro Head cookies. They’re fun! Nobody complained about his dead geese cookies last week! He’s got a Cuban brother-in-law! We’d be more willing to believe it was just a bad marketing decision if it weren’t for the follow-up comments a customer alleged he made.
Christian Group Calls For Boycott Over Titillating New Starbucks Logo
By 5.16.08
According to the Star Tribune, Starbucks recently decided to resurrect its original bare-breasted mermaid logo, much to the dismay of the Christian group, “The Resistance,” who is calling for a national boycott. The logo, based on a 16th Century Norse woodcut, will be on Starbucks cups for at least a few more weeks and will be the permanent logo for Pike Place bags of coffee. According to the Christian group, the logo “has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute,” and that “the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks.” We didn’t even know that mermaids had legs. More, inside…
Pizza Hut Delivery Driver Fired For Shooting Armed Robber
By 4.22.08
A Pizza Hut delivery driver with a valid handgun permit has been fired after he shot an armed robber who put a gun to his head and demanded he turn over his cash. Now an Iowa state senator is calling for a boycott of Pizza Hut:
“You tell me any Iowan that was in his situation, that had a gun put to his head, how they would’ve reacted differently,” state Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale said. “I think it’s the wrong decision by Pizza Hut and I will not be buying any more Pizza Hut products.”
Pizza Hut says it’s against company policy for delivery drivers to carry guns, even with a valid permit.
eBay Boycott Having An Effect? Listings Are Down 13%
By 2.25.08
USAToday says the eBay boycott over fee and policy changes has driven listings down as much as 13%:
The Great eBay Boycott Is Officially On, Will Anyone Notice?
By 2.20.08
Here we are a few days into a week-long eBay boycott over policy and fee changes and no one is sure if it is having any effect. It appears that listings are down 3%, but no one is sure if the drop is the result of the boycott.
Pith & Vinegar: The Spinning of the Chum
By 6.1.06
• Old news but we didn’t talk about it yet: Telcos secretly funding anti-net-neutrality websites. Probably made by the same ad agency who did the pro-C02 spot. [Digg]
