Consumer Activism: Carrotmob

How much fun is there to be had at a boycott? Aside from the pleasure brought by catchy one-liners chanted in unison from the chords of diligent, dissatisfied customers, not much. Enter Carrotmob, “a method of activism that leverages consumer power to make the most socially-responsible business practices also the most profitable choices.” Carrotmob has re-written the Activist’s Guide to Effective Protest by changing the rules; instead of yelling at those who do wrong, they tip their hats to those who pledge to do right. How Carrotmob works: Companies compete by pledging a percentage of mob-day-sales to greening business operations. The winning company is then mobbed by the avid network of carrotmobsters who bolster sales by doing what they do best: consume. The company then uses the pledged money to lower energy usage, replace aged piping or use sustainable inputs. In addition to the short-run gain in sales revenue, the company is able to achieve long-term savings and favorable positioning as a socially-conscious business. Carrotmobs have succeeded domestically in several cities including San Francisco, Portland, Brooklyn, Seattle and Chicago, while expanding internationally to Finland, Germany, Australia and Canada. The philosophy behind Carrotmob is that it’s much more enjoyable and effective to lure companies in with a carrot (Carrotmob) than to poke them with a stick (boycott). Learn more about Carrotmob at http://carrotmob.org/.