Boycotts & consumer pledges
Organise a boycott that only starts once enough people are in
Consumer pressure works when it's simultaneous. Crowd lets customers commit to acting together on a date, with the action only going ahead if the number is reached.
The problem
Boycott calls usually fail because each person's individual cost is real and their individual impact is zero. A petition collects names but asks nothing. A conditional pledge flips it: nobody gives anything up unless enough others do too, and then the impact is collective.
Why a threshold fixes it
- Set a target that would be noticed: 1,000 cancellations, 5,000 reviews, 200 switched accounts.
- Anonymous joins. No one's name is on a list that the company can see.
- Deadline and action date are separate, so you can gather commitments for two weeks and act on one morning.
- Yellow and red cards surface disagreement about the target or the tactic before the day.
Examples
Tap one to start →- If 1,000 people say yes……we'll cancel our subscriptions on the 1st of the month until the price rise is reversed.1,000 cancelling on the 1st. Use as template
- If 500 people say yes……we'll switch energy supplier in the same week and say why on the exit survey.500 switching in one week. Use as template
- If 250 people say yes……we'll stop shopping at the store until staff are paid the living wage.250 shopping elsewhere. Use as template
How to do it
- 1
Name the single concrete action and the date it happens.
- 2
Set the threshold at the point the company can't ignore.
- 3
Share the link in customer forums, comment sections and community groups.
- 4
When the target hits, everyone acts on the same day. Until then, nobody has cancelled anything.
Questions
- Is this a petition?
- No. A petition asks a company to act. A Crowd action is customers committing to act themselves, conditionally, on a date. Use both if you like: the petition for the ask, Crowd for the consequence.
- How do I prove the number to the company?
- The action page is public and shows the count and the target. Send them the link. Because joins are anonymous, they can't verify individuals, and neither can you. The public count is the evidence.
- What stops a company or troll joining to pad the number?
- Joins are one per device and rate-limited, but not verified. A padded count only helps you, though: the action succeeds, and the real participants still act. A red card from genuine supporters is the honest signal to watch.
- Can this be used to attack a company unfairly?
- Descriptions must be factual and lawful. Say what you'll do and why in plain terms. Content that's abusive or defamatory is removed.
Also used for
Ready to set a number?
One link. Anonymous. No accounts. If the number doesn't fill before the deadline, nothing happens and nobody is on the hook.