Braden King
Appearances
WSJ What’s News
Boycotting Target, Part 2: Is Its Business Paying a Price?
So boycotts tend to be effective not because they have an effect on consumer sales, but rather because they create a lot of negative media attention for the company that they're going after. And that creates a reputational threat, which companies don't like. And so they tend to respond to boycotters because they're trying to avoid a hit to their reputation.
WSJ What’s News
Boycotting Target, Part 2: Is Its Business Paying a Price?
What companies want to do is immediately get out of the news. And so right now, one of the things that Target has going for them is that the news cycle is very short and there's lots of noise.
WSJ What’s News
Boycotting Target, Part 2: Is Its Business Paying a Price?
One strategy they might take is simply to wait it out, knowing that eventually other things are going to take on more importance for these activists and consumers than what is occupying their attention right now. In fact, it's highly likely that in six months, we will not be talking about this at all.