Development of Response Approach to Marketing Boycotts for Targeted Companies

Abstract

The goal of the research is to develop response framework for consumer boycott target on the base of critical analysis and integrated approach to existing theory of consumer boycotts. The goal of the research answers the question: How the boycotted company may handle consumer boycotts without suffering economic or brand image damage or by minimizing one? Accordingly, the object of study is consumer boycotts; the subject is response actions and strategies of the boycotted companies. To achieve this goal we need to perform the following objectives: (1) defining the concept of consumer boycotts with provided classification; (2) analysis of the motivation theory of boycott participation with determining the success and failure factors of consumer boycotts; (3) reviewing of the existing strategic concepts of boycott response by the targeted company with identifying gaps in the literature; (4) development of a questionnaire with the responses of specialist in the field of consumer boycott in order to receive feedback on the model and appeared questions; (5) fulfilling the gap by developing response framework for consumer boycott target; (6) implementing the model on the example of Nestle case. The results of this research developed response framework for consumer boycott target.