Thursday, August 2, 2012

Chick Fil A, Boycotts, and Buycotts

Judging by the rather over the top response today at the various Chick Fil A restaurants across America (albeit unfortunately none around Oregon), it seems clear that conservative and reactionary elements in the nation are much, much better at buycotts than they are at boycotts.

Perhaps such elements need to consider declaring buycott events more frequently, and 'outsourcing' most of their boycotts.
By outsourcing, I mean this. 
Imagine a company, probably an LLC or a corporation, that is essentially organized as a 'destruction company'.  A group pays this company X dollars, and its goal thereafter is to cost another company some high multiple of X dollars in profits, by any means legal and expedient.

If that means sending lots of coupons for competitors products to that company's most lucrative customers, so be it.
If that means buying all their loss leaders and being super-slow customers in their check out lines...so be it.
If that means throwing tons of banana peels under their feet whenever they are trying to get a zoning variance or permitting...so be it.
If that means encouraging lots of additional lawsuits against the company...so be it.
Whatever gives you the highest multiplier on X is what such a company would want.  I bet there are lots of business types with tons of ideas on that score.
Hell, once it gets rolling, it can probably even self-fund through put option trading.
Reactionary or conservative elements contemplating a boycott of Company X for its Daily Outrage could funnel money to 'The Destruction Company', which would go to work.  Call it AstroTurf Alinski with a business degree.

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