How to not get caught boycotted
political turmoil, numerous voices have advocated for boycotting products, services, brands and even nations as a mark of protest. Take the BDS — boycott, divestment, sanctions — movement, which wants to pressure Israel to change its policies towards Palestinians through various forms of economic and political actions.
It first gained international attention in the early 2000s. It has targeted global business entities such as Nestle, Burger King, Disney, Siemens, HP, Puma, Carrefour and others for supporting Israel, covertly or overtly.
Many governments have also taken this route. Last year, Turkish parliament withdrew Coca-Cola and Nestle products from restaurants in parliament for supporting Israel. India has done things more subtly. It used BJP's social media arm to mobilise people to boycott Chinese products after border skirmishes, and to boycott the Maldives as a tourist destination after a minister made uncharitable remarks about India.
Boycotts and sanctions can have significant business repercussions.
Starbucks lost $11 billion in market value after BDS targeted it for suing Workers United, a labour union, in Iowa in 2023. The company alleged that a pro-Palestinian social media post from a union account early in the Israel-Hamas war angered hundreds of customers and damaged its reputation.
Caterpillar, the US construction equipment manufacturer, faced criticism and boycotts due to use of its bulldozers in Israeli military operations to demolish Palestinian homes. The company's reputation and sales
