Present face of Consumer Activism

Consumer activism, can alternatively be stated as “ethical shopping, ethical purchase

behaviour, ethical consumption, political consumption, political consumerism, and critical
consumerism” commonly narrates the selections a consumer makes while buying a product of
service. It is a perception that depends on the ethical consideration of the consumer and these
selections are largely impacted by these factors on the consumer while buying that particular
product or service. These ethical considerations are followed by the consumer even after the
purchase has been concluded as consumer are focused primarily on the ethical misconduct
performed by the brand or company itself which leads to lack of trust in the consumer.
Due to all time reduction of trust in brands and companies by the consumers, common
customers are not accepting the inert concept of brand consumption pitched by corporate
houses or companies through media and advertising and consumers through their various
activities are gaining control over these corporations. As per a study from Young & Rubicam
and Edelman it has been recognized that there is large downfall in consumers’ trust on brands
in the past 20 years. Consumers are questioning and challenging the ethics followed by the
brands, protesting against the misconduct showed by the corporations or the conduct perceived
by the consumers. To bring effective change consumers are now showcasing the power of their
buying capacity which has greatly modified the corporate behaviour towards the production of
their products. In the era of globalization where all the products are easily available worldwide,
flawless connectivity achieved due to readily accessible internet connection and the emergence
of social media platforms where people can interact freely without any bias, motivated and
created an ecosystem where consumer activism can survive and flourish. Consumers have
created a parallel world where corporations can be publically pointed out and blamed for their
unethical and unfair deeds. This has created a gigantic shift of power from the hands of these
companies to the hands of the consumers and hence may lead to a beneficial and unbiased
political structure. Promises made by the companies are openly compared with their actions by
experiences shared by the consumers via various online platforms which is accessible by
everyone and hence spread of news is convenient manifolds.

Previously, enterprises were directed by professional trade entities, associations and the media.
Today, these enterprises are moderated by the consumers and the experiences consumers gains
by purchasing any product or services offered these corporations. Online forums or discussion
groups available on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram or the official platforms
provided by the brands itself, gives consumers a stage to discuss their experiences and
satisfaction achieved through that particular brand. This demonstration in itself isn't new,
individuals have constantly voiced suppositions but with the advent of these platforms on
internet, these opinions are spread faster with a single click of the button. This has empowered
consumers to gain control over the companies which is a giant shift in power and often
considered distressing from the company’s point of view. Global footwear and apparel
company Nike laid the foundation for modern day consumer activism when their subcontracted
production units were widely criticized for below the industry standards working conditions
and poor pay structure of the workers. This lead to a large scale boycotts of Nike products in
the 1990s. The boycotts are a widely used method of consumer activism and has achieved a
huge impact and success. In the early 2000s Coffee retailer chain Starbucks came into
highlights for their unfair practices of obtaining coffee beans and various protests took place
against the company, favouring boycott of their products in 2001 and 2002. This resulted in a
fair trade obtainment of beans by Starbucks in their 2300 outlets worldwide. In another instance
of a famous series of events, “The anti-Trump Boycott” was formed in October 2016 by Susan
Coulter in October 2016 in continuous efforts to show disapproval against Donald Trump.
#GrabYourWallet was made trending with help of social media platforms like Twitter and
Facebook. This measure embraced boycotting all stores and enterprises that shows affiliation
to Trump related products like, Ivanka Trump's shoe line. This boycott not only consisted of
retail clothing stores but also promoted boycott of TV programmes like “The New Celebrity
Apprentice” which was previously didn't only include clothing stores, but also included TV
shows, such as The New Celebrity Apprentice, which was formerly presented by Donald
Trump. hosted by Donald Trump. As a result, US retail stores like Wayfair and Sears,
Nordstrom, Maxx and Marshall dropped and boycotted all the line of products of Ivanka Trump
after her father and current President of the United States of America Donald Trump addressed
Mexican immigrants as “killers” and “rapists.” Her products also came in the line of fire in UK
and boycotted by ethical consumers due to its tax avoidance practices. Another retail giant
Macy’s also boycotted Trump’s line of clothing due to his racist comments on immigrants. In
a similar fashion, following Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769 which banned
immigration from seven primarily Islamic countries to the United States in January 2017,
demonstrations arose in several airports in the US. Due to this Uber, which is a company
providing taxi for hire services was globally criticized as they did not cancel their services at
John F. Kennedy International Airport and was alleged to gain profits by taking advantage of
the situation. This consequently gave birth to #DeleteUber movement and almost 200,000 users
deleted Uber app from their mobile phones. This boycott protest by the consumers on Twitter
resulted in stepping down of Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick from the Economic Advisory
Council of President Donald Trump. There is no uncertainty that responses from these
corporate have made highlights in the media, however, it has also clearly defined the role
consumer activism plays in achieving their aims for a social transformation.

Organizations sell what a buyer wants. Changes in global climatic conditions has also sparked
a trend in broad scale consumer activism. 31% of consumers have articulated that they would
prefer using products from the company that shows significant commitment towards
responsible social practices. On the contrary, consumers tend to reject companies which are
responsible or key contributor for global issues like global warming, destruction of natural
habitat, etc. A famous instance occurred when renowned NGO Greenpeace established
evidence against Kit-Kat, the famous chocolate brand that it utilizes palm oil in the production
of their chocolates and which is consequently responsible for the destruction of rainforests
which are naturally occurring habitat of Orangutans. With the aid of broad-scale social media
activities, Greenpeace compelled Kit-Kat to end their association with the company Sinar Mas
Group which was responsible for supplying palm oil to Kit-Kat. This further resulted in usage
of rainforest-sustainable palm oil by the company. This consumer activist movement by
Greenpeace is considered as a landmark event in consumer activism. As a result of these
activist movements, supermarkets and suppliers of food products, put extra efforts now to
showcase their consciousness and sensitivity towards various climatic issues. Words like
“sustainable,” “organic” and “eco-friendly” are now widely prevalent which portrays food and
related products “socially beneficial.” As new brands are created past natural sustenance,
reasonable and fair trade, and organically made, it will be all the simpler for the customers to
make the voices heard. Buyers can cast a ballot each day and in an amazing manner with their
money. Globalization has given a new beginning to consumer activism, and it very well might
help introduce the most dynamic time of ecological and social policy making around the globe.
To procure the trust and dependability of the consumer activists', brands must act with
respectability. Trustworthiness, straightforwardness and two-way exchange of communication
are pivotal. Shoppers need to be associated with the basic leadership process. For brands, this
implies tuning in to the understanding they share, following up on it, and welcoming them to
put time in co-creating the product. It additionally means giving an access to the actualities
with the goal that when consumers share their feelings the message they spread will be certain.
Given that 79% of purchasers trust companions' suggestions over some other type of promoting
there is an exceptionally solid case for doing as such. To appear to be capable associations,
organisations can promise to spend a specific piece of their incomes on CSR or
straightforwardly vow to deal with the underprivileged individuals. By beginning a social
crusade or making its stand obvious on an issue and after that giving an appropriate stage to its
buyers to take the battle forward with its consistent help, it can transform consumer activism
into brand activism.
Inditex, the proprietor company of Zara clothing stores, disposed of fur from almost 1,000 of
their stores globally. Staples' expanded reused content in its paper items. Seaworld finished its
orca rearing projects. Kimberly-Clark's new paper obtainment arrangements have decreased
deforestation. Every one of these cases demonstrate that consumer activism crusades on various
issues can be successful. Research on of consumer activism show they are regularly fruitful in
changing corporate practices: boycotts that get probably some national media consideration
have about a 25% achievement rate in impacting corporate practices; and for those that
incorporate open dissents or showings, the achievement rate lifts to about 50%. These
corporations and the changes acquired by these in the way they operate, showcase the impacts
brought by the consumer activism. There is a significant evidence that these successful activist
movements by the consumers are largely responsible for the focus of big and small corporation
on various CSR activities performed by the companies in order to give back to the society and
hence a positive reshaping of the corporate structure is visible and consumer activism play a
vital role in achieving these successful results.
On the contrary, consumer activism is often criticised by many scholars and social activists too
as the consumer may be influenced by his or her own perception. A few activists see the buyers
as negligent, oblivious, and stereotyped in their considerations of consumption of the product.
Social activism portrays these individuals as unreflective and reluctant to "consider" their
propensities and lifestyles. They might be accepted to not embed good or social thoughts into
their utilization. Different perceptions of clients are additionally communicated by activists,
including the possibility that purchasers are submissive to organizations. The activists
themselves might be depicted as commanding and dominating. Adversaries of consumer
activism regularly speak to business interests. A few organizations have brought lawful claims
against consumer’s activists for making negative remarks about their brands or products or
administrations. A significant number of the law suits have been effectively protected as
activities in the name of free speech. A few bodies of evidence against consumer activists have
been rejected by the law.
CONCLUSION
The prime challenge of activism is diligence. It can take years, or even a very long time to
accomplish milestones. Fortunately, activism can push deceptive convictions and practices to
the edges of society, where they will end up idea of as unsuitable. With the approach of internet
based social media moderated activism, the power equalization has moved to support the
customer. Organizations would be incautious to disregard it. For consumers, it is a most
influential tool to bring out the change by various social activist movements.