A couple of times here at BLPB, we’ve talked about whether consumers will reward companies for ethical conduct (or punish them for unethical conduct).  Marcia in particular has expressed doubts that consumers genuinely do express their preferences with their dollars.
 
Well, it’s something of a sui generis situation, but we have one new datapoint: Trump’s properties (or rather, the properties that license his name) appear to be suffering as a result of his presidential campaign.  Foursquare has the numbers, and they show, among other things, that women in particular – who dislike Trump more than men – are steering clear.  Anecdotal evidence suggests that some travel agents and meeting planners have been explicitly instructed by their clients to book anything but Trump.
 
I don’t know if there are broader lessons here, but it seems if consumers have enough political objections to a company, they will indeed vote with their feet.
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Photo of Ann Lipton Ann Lipton

Ann M. Lipton is a Professor of Law and Laurence W. DeMuth Chair of Business Law at the University of Colorado Law School.  An experienced securities and corporate litigator who has handled class actions involving some of the world’s largest companies, she joined…

Ann M. Lipton is a Professor of Law and Laurence W. DeMuth Chair of Business Law at the University of Colorado Law School.  An experienced securities and corporate litigator who has handled class actions involving some of the world’s largest companies, she joined the Tulane Law faculty in 2015 after two years as a visiting assistant professor at Duke University School of Law.

As a scholar, Lipton explores corporate governance, the relationships between corporations and investors, and the role of corporations in society.  Read more.