Boycotting BP is Hard

Lots of people are angry at BP for the Gulf oil spill. History will tell you that one of the most effective ways to show your distaste for a company is to stop buying their product. But boycotting BP is hard work.

BP is a gigantic, multinational company that primarily deals in crude oil and refined fuel. Crude oil is used to make a huge variety of products, including plastics. Refined fuel comes in many formulas: you’re most familiar with gasoline, but it also includes jet fuel.

You are not the primary customer of crude oil compounds and jet fuel. Packaging and manufacturing companies buy the oil compounds. Aviation firms buy the jet fuel.

Most of the time, you aren’t even the primary customer of gasoline. The current craze of BP hate urges people to stop shopping at BP-brand gas stations and convenience stores. But BP-brand gas stations are just franchisees. Owners of the gas stations pay money to BP to receive BP branding materials and cary the name. But those gas stations might not even sell BP gas. Worse, when gas companies need a leg up on supplies, they might buy BP products and re-sell them under another name. Boycotting BP-brand gas stations is more likely to just harm the franchise owner.

Get Even

So, how do you show that you’re angry at BP? First, as a voting citizen, you can support political representatives that want to punish the company, force it to clean the Gulf, and re-pay business owners. Then, you can embarrass BP. You can take pictures of the oil washing up on shore, covering birds, and ruining marshlands. You can go to the news with your story about how the oil spill has hurt you or damaged your way of life. You can write and speak out against BP’s poor concern for the environment. You can donate to organizations that put pressure on lawmakers. Give the people a bitter taste in their mouth whenever they hear the name “BP”.

And, if you’re someone at a big company, it may very well be that you can boycott BP sales. Shed your BP stock. Tell your firm to look to a more responsible oil supplier.