Business Beware: The Consumer Buycott

Thought leaders and corporate influencers have clearly marked 2018 as a year for change. Businesses are expected to serve a legitimate, genuine social purpose and prove those efforts to consumers and investors. However, not all CEOs are willing to paint their company with a definitive set of values; especially when those values inherently lend to a political stance.

Understandably, companies fear isolating a portion of their audience by sharing their opinions, but now they may not have a choice. The recent Parkland, Florida school shooting served as a major catalyst for consumer activists.

So What's the Big Deal? Companies are now feeling the pressure to "pick a side" or face a "buycott". Consumers took to social media with the #BoycottNRA movement and flexed their purchasing power at retailers nationwide. As a result, two of the country's leading gun sellers, Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart, announced they will no longer sell guns to customers under 21 and are applying new sales restrictions on ammunition.

Think About It: This movement goes way beyond gun retailers. It is no secret the NRA has a tremendous influence on American business and politics, but you may be surprised the breadth of industries the NRA reaches. Now, a growing list of major companies have publicly cut ties with the NRA since the Parkland shooting. According to time.com, these are the companies to thus far end their relationship with the NRA:

Avis Budget Group: Ending their discount programs for NRA members effective March 26.
Allied Van Lines & North American Van Lines: Ended their NRA affiliate relationship.
Chubb: No longer underwriting NRA-brand insurance policy for gun owners.
Delta Air Lines: Ending discounts for NRA members.
Enterprise Holdings (Enterprise, Alamo, and National): Cutting NRA ties and ending NRA member discounts.
First National Bank of Omaha: Cutting NRA ties.
Hertz: Ending discounts for NRA members.
Lockton Affinity: Discontinuing its brokerage partnership with the NRA.
MetLife: Ending its discount program for NRA members.
Paramount Rx: Discontinuing discounts for NRA members from third-party vendor.
SimpliSafe: Ended relationship with NRA.
Starkey: Not renewing its NRA discount program.
Symantec (Norton & LifeLock): Ended NRA member discounts.
TrueCar: Ended NRA relationship.
United Airlines: Ending NRA discount program.

An impressive list for sure, but some big names are obviously missing. FedEx, Apple, and Amazon have either stayed silent or announced their plans to continue their NRA affiliation. True to form, activists have taken matters into their own hands with a 24-hour boycott of all three companies today (3/1).

[Triple] Bottom Line: Corporate America is feeling the pressure. Businesses that have quietly sat on the sidelines during such polarizing times won't be there much longer. Pay close attention to which companies come out on top, and how they did it.