Wait, do boycotts actually work?

The conservative playbook against "woke capitalism" is kind of working on corporate America. vox.com/culture CULTURE   When the [Bud Light drama]( started to kick up in the spring over the company's decision to do a small marketing campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a lot of people — myself included — figured it wouldn’t last long. The modern-day outrage cycle may be fierce, but it’s also fast. Consumers of all political stripes like to say they shop their values, but many aren’t very good at actually executing. The Bud Light controversy, though, really did have a lasting impact: Many conservative beer-drinkers dropped it, and they’re not coming back. There’s something a little bit different going on with conservative consumers as of late. They’re fired up, organized, and taking aim at specific companies they see as “woke” or standing up for issues — specifically, transgender visibility and rights — they don’t like. It’s having a chilling effect across corporate America. Nobody wants to be the next Bud Light, [or the next Target](. This week for Vox, [I took a look at the current conservative boycott playbook](, what’s unique about it, and why in some instances it’s working. —[Emily Stewart](, senior correspondent The conservative boycott playbook is kind of working [A sign disparaging Bud Light beer is seen along a country road in Arco, Idaho.]( Natalie Behring/Getty Images The general rule about consumer boycotts is that they rarely work, at least in terms of taking a real bite out of a company’s bottom line. Take some recent examples. Plenty of coffee drinkers still love their Keurigs, despite a handful of people smashing their already-purchased machines in 2017. In 2018, Nike got a sales boost after angering some conservatives for doing an ad campaign with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. In 2020, calls among progressives for a boycott of Goya products semi-backfired — the hullabaloo actually resulted in a brief bump in the food company’s sales. This year, though, the boycott outlook in the United States has been a little different. [Conservative consumers, specifically, have been able to do some damage.]( Bud Light’s decision to embark on a small-scale marketing campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked vast outrage on the right this spring. It cost the company millions of dollars in sales and ultimately contributed to Bud Light’s dethroning as the most popular beer in the country. Then, over the summer, conservatives took aim at Target and its annual Pride collection. Many called for a boycott of the retailer, and some consumers took to going into Target stores to destroy displays and harass employees. Target’s earnings were down for the second quarter. While the Pride backlash wasn’t the only or main issue in play, in an earnings call, a company executive cited “the strong reaction to this year’s Pride assortment” as headwinds during the period. Target now says it’s going to “pause, adapt, and learn” so that its future approach to Pride “balances celebration, inclusivity, and broad-based appeal.” Neither brand is in dire straits, but they would probably much rather not be in this position. [Conservatives aren’t winning every battle with corporate America](Conservatives aren’t winning every battle with corporate America — I’m signed up for a service called “Woke Alerts” that supposedly tells me every so-called woke company I’m supposed to boycott, and it feels like it’s a little bit all of them. However, it does appear that they’re onto something on some fronts. They are managing to hit a few companies where it hurts at least somewhat — on their balance sheets — and are getting them to change their behavior.)— I’m signed up for a service called “Woke Alerts” that supposedly tells me every so-called woke company I’m supposed to boycott, and it feels like it’s a little bit all of them. However, it does appear that they’re onto something on some fronts. They are managing to hit a few companies where it hurts at least somewhat — on their balance sheets — and are getting them to change their behavior. [Read the full story »](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Want to make more friends? Start a club. An idea for an era when Americans are lonelier than ever. [Read the full story »]( How to make school life a little less difficult for kids Actually useful ways to help children with homework, bullying, and mental health. [Read the full story »](   Support our work We aim to explain what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters. Support our mission by making a gift today. [Give](   More good stuff to read today - [Why you should divide your life into semesters, even when you’re not in school]( - [What’s going on with these viral, right-wing country music hits?]( - [The Spanish sexual misconduct scandal roiling soccer, explained]( - [Nobody wins in the Hollywood strikes, including billion-dollar studios]( - [The confusing Scooter Braun exodus, explained](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.