Inoculating An Activist Campaign

Our Client

A leading global paper, consumer goods, and personal care product company.

The Issue

A coalition of prominent environmental activist organizations waged a boycott campaign aimed at stopping our client from sourcing certain raw materials in one of its major supply chains.

The Challenge

Our client was facing a multipronged attack from organizations known to use extreme tactics to achieve their ends. The environmental activists working against our client had successfully secured one-sided traditional and online media coverage. They had also already mobilized their extensive networks to garner support for boycott activities.

The Opportunity

We adopted the mindset that the coalition of environmental organizations would need a public relations victory while the company needed to protect their assets and payroll. Ultimately, our client could credit its adversaries for helping it “see the light,” a mutually beneficial outcome for both parties that would subside the assault on our client.

The Plan

We developed a long-term strategy to preserve ongoing business operations for as long as possible while reducing the reputational damage. We proposed negotiating with the activist coalition to buy time as our client worked through more tangible, permanent solutions.

Creating an internal timeline for evolution in the supply chain mollified adversaries without harming the business, leading to a settlement with the activist organization.

These factors all played a tremendous role in creating the conditions for an outcome that would prove to be mutually advantageous for our clients and the environmental organizations.

The Result

In 10 months, we ended the boycott campaign and announced a partnership between our client and the activist organizations to promote new industry practices for harvesting wood. The activists agreed they would negotiate with our client regarding other business practices in the future rather than launch public boycott campaigns. The partnership garnered positive media coverage and supportive commentary from our client’s customer base, ultimately restoring our client’s reputation.