Using carrots, not sticks, to get companies to do good

By

July 8, 2011

If you want to get an uncooperative donkey to move, the old adage says that you can coax it with a carrot. This philosophy is at the heart of Carrotmob, a San Francisco-based movement that’s reinventing the time-honored protest technique of the boycott. Carrotmob works like a boycott in reverse, providing incentive — the “carrots” — to businesses in exchange for reform.

As part of our Agents of Change series, Need to Know talks to Brent Schulkin, the brainchild behind Carrotmob, about how he’s growing this new model of protest into a global movement.

Last modified: July 8, 2011 at 4:44 pm
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Comments

  • Beneas

    Brent Schulking, genius, days ago wrote a short story saying that ALL the monies the rich people had came from the poor, why did we give it to them? could we choose to give them to another rich person? even in controlled states. Being trying to sell Mesquite beans the SECOND CORN, and free with no luck for 6 years! HELP!

  • Dark Hawk 98

    What a GREAT idea.

  • http://www.facebook.com/davidhartley510 David Hartley

    This idea “Can’t Fail” .. if it is scrupulously and aggressively implemented :)

  • http://growthisnotsustainable.blogspot.com/ Growth is not sustainable

    Perfect! I am sick of all of us focusing on what we’re against.

  • Tomcmustang

    My only problem with this is that some companies have already been doing this but also using it to drive profits. For example, KFC used pink buckets to support breast cancer. However, they made the donation prior to anyone buying a bucket. That means that the donation amount was already set and there was no honest impact in buying the product no matter how many “pink buckets” you bought. The danger, in my opinion, with the carrot idea is that if corporations can abuse it they will so care must be taken.