Carrotmob and the power of reverse boycotts

Carrotmob is one of my favorite local movement organizations, and I'm writing about them now because since the last time I checked, they have gone global. Their slogan is:

In a boycott, everyone loses. In a Carrotmob, everyone wins.

Here's their mission statement explanation: "We are called Carrotmob because we use the "carrot" instead of the 'stick.' Traditionally, people who wanted to influence businesses would threaten or attack them. We believe people can have more influence on businesses by giving them a positive incentive to change: our money."

Here's how it works: Carrotmob partners with a local business who wants to make part of their store more environmentally friendly but can't afford to. Carrotmob helps organize the community to get the local business a flood of business on a given day in return for the promise that said business will use a large portion of the profits to make the environmentally friendly changes.

For example, ABC convenience store wants to install eco-friendly lighting. Carrotmob get hundreds of people on their mailing list to go to ABC convenience store on Friday and spend at least $5. At the end of the day, ABC convenience store has a record day and takes 80 percent of the day's profits to purchase and install the new eco-friendly lighting. Everyone wins.

They use the "carrot" of money to get local businesses to become more environmentally friendly. It's awesome. 

It's been a while since I checked their website, but I saw that they now have two new features.

1) People can now suggest campaigns for local businesses and Carrotmob will decide which ones to support based on crowdsourcing the votes. This one is in beta in San Francisco only, but if it works well they'll expand it.

2) The entire concept has gone global and Carrotmob highlights great projects from around the world.

Wherever you are, you can now start a Carrotmob and make an environmental difference in your community.

Any ideas?

Screen shot courtesy of author.