"Rejecting toxic brands" [2019] ELECD 2143; in Torres-Spelliscy, Ciara (ed), "Political Brands" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019) 242

Book Title: Political Brands

Editor(s): Torres-Spelliscy, Ciara

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Section: Part IV

Section Title: Rejecting toxic brands

Number of pages: 1

Extract:

PART IV



Rejecting toxic brands


Commercial brands have a minefield to navigate when it comes to modern
politics. Consumers are rediscovering old tactics like the political boycott to
reject brands that they find morally or politically repugnant. This tactic goes
back to the Boston Tea Party, but is as modern as the #grabyourwallet boycott
that started in 2016 inspired by candidate Trump.
With a brand as president, the nation has a new set of problems to tackle,
including trying to suss out whether President Trump is acting in the interest
of his commercial brand or the interest of the nation. This question is being
litigated in three lawsuits which raise the issue of whether Trump is receiving
unconstitutional emoluments from foreign and domestic governments through
his business.
This final part of the book also examinesexamines the complex ways
that citizens have tried to fight back against brands that displease them. For
example, the last chapter will examine how the survivors of the Parkland
massacre in Florida have channeled their rage into a number of tactics to
financially cripple the National Rifle Association (NRA). This includes calling
for traditional boycotts; but it goes beyond that to try to break the links among
commercial brands, the NRA and politicians.
In the epilogue, some policy reforms are summarized to address some of the
problems this book has exposed.