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Speaking before college audiences, I often ask, “How many of you have never been to a McDonald’s or a Walmart?” No hands go up—except mine. I explain that I’ve never given my consumer dollars to McDonald’s because of its deadly menu of fat, sugar and salt that has increased youth obesity for two generations. I’ve similarly refused to give my money to Walmart because of its low wages and unfair competitive practices that crush small businesses.
If you’re concerned about the impact your money has on the world after it leaves your pocket, you need to define your consumer preferences. In an internet age it’s easy to research brands to see if you agree with their positions on political candidates and their stands on diversity and nondiscrimination. But rarely do enough consumers vote with their dollars to send a clear and convincing message to companies that need to change.
Why? First, it can be difficult. Wells Fargo, the regulation-resisting bank with about 5,800 branches, was finally exposed after two recent crimes: Over the course of 2016 and 2017 it was discovered that the financial institution had created up to 3.5 million fake accounts and made unnecessary auto-insurance purchases for more than 800,000 unknowing customers. The media reported the details of these crimes extensively. The bank had to pay millions of dollars in restitution and fines, regulators put a temporary moratorium on its capital expansion, and the bosses stepped down, ample pay packages in hand. But what the bank’s directors feared most was loss of customers and an enduring stock-price collapse. That didn’t happen—because as everybody knows, switching banks is complicated, inconvenient and time-consuming.
Second, consumers may have limited options. If you have a small income or live in a rural area with few if any alternatives to Walmart and Amazon, it’s difficult to leverage your consumer dollars for better business practices.
Even a small portion of that dollar power could be used to advance our country’s health, safety and moral strength.
And then there are the subtler methods practiced by tech giants such as Facebook and Google. When a company gives you something for free, you become the product. Information about your private life is central to the business model of these giant internet companies. You’re unlikely to simply say “I want out” of your social networks after learning that Facebook has shared your personal data with everyone who wants it anywhere in the world. But when you click “accept” on those encyclopedic terms and conditions, you lose control of your online privacy, and your data profile grows by the day.
Our government, heavily lobbied by Silicon Valley, will not require Facebook to provide an opt-in button. To opt out from Facebook and its ilk requires willpower. When news broke that the social network had allowed unsavory companies to obtain information about tens of millions of its customers, hundreds of thousands of them closed their accounts. This protest hardly made a dent. Facebook still has more than 2 billion users worldwide, including more than half the U.S. population. But Mr. Zuckerberg definitely felt the cautionary tremors.
Another difficulty is presented by the right-wing and very politically active Koch brothers. Together they’re worth more than $100 billion, mainly from giant oil, gas and chemical enterprises. They lobby for corporation-friendly judges and against even minimal taxation. But they have no recognizable logo or brand presence at the retail level.
What can you do? First, educate yourself. It’s easy to find out which companies belong to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or other trade associations that push for weaker environmental standards, higher drug prices, more tax escapes for big businesses or tort restrictions that weaken access to our courts by wrongfully injured persons. This will expose companies with no visible consumer brand or identity.
Sleeping Giants is a Twitter account that informs advertisers of consumers’ disdain for companies or news sites that fail to oppose bigotry, racism, sexism and hate-mongering. This public outing of abusers has caused thousands of companies to cancel their advertising contracts for fear of being accused of supporting media outlets or personalities—such as Fox’s Bill O’Reilly—whose behavior contradicts customer values or corporate policies. This collateral pressure works (though at times, like all mass movements, it can go to extremes).
You can be a “pick and choose” consumer based on your political values without sacrificing a good deal. I know people who won’t buy gas from ExxonMobil because of the company’s long-standing cover-up of and resistance to regulations dealing with climate disinformation. Years ago, consumers troubled by Philip Morris’s control of congressional politicians and promotion of smoking refused to purchase products from the company’s food subsidiaries. And when it comes to environmental malefactors like the Koch brothers, consumers can penalize them—and help themselves and the planet at the same time—by practicing energy conservation. Solar panels and products made from renewable resources are good places to start.
However, it’s worth adding that consumers don’t have to open their wallets for corporations to change practices. Notice how many powerful executives were immediately dismissed after facing credible accusations of sexual harassment, assault and rape. Companies ranging from Fox News to Morgan Stanley couldn’t ignore the waves of condemnation from consumers, workers and citizen action groups. Reporting by the mass media helped accelerate the process.
Remember, consumer spending accounts for more than two thirds of our economy. Even a small portion of that dollar power could be used to advance our country’s health, safety and moral strength. Protest with your spending choices.