Two-thirds of UAE and Saudi Arabia consumers claim they have boycotted a brand, either temporarily or permanently, owing to a scandal, a survey showed.
Amongst the two markets, more consumers – 72 percent – in Saudi Arabia said they are likely to resort to boycott of scandal-hit brands, compared to those in UAE (60 percent), new research from YouGov said.
For the various reasons to boycott a brand, its stand on political or social issues that is against the views of consumers figured as the top one to make someone stop using it (49 percent), followed by faulty/ damaged or dangerous products (46 percent), the survey said.
Inappropriate/ insensitive/ misleading advertising is the next most common reason to stop using or buying from a brand (39 percent), along with unhealthy work environments at the brand’s end such as racism and unequal income distribution.
Unethical work practices (30 percent) and allegiance to unethical people, associations, or causes (26 percent) are some of the other reasons for not using a brand, data from the survey showed.
Consumers in both UAE and KSA are aware of the strong impact of a boycott, with almost three-quarters (73 percent) agreeing that it helps convince a company to change its policies or actions, the survey said.
This sentiment resonates more strongly among KSA than UAE consumers (77 percent vs 69 percent).
From the various categories of brands that consumers have stopped using or buying following a scandal, QSR/ restaurants tops the list in both the markets (62 percent), according to the survey.
FMCG is the next popular category where consumers have snubbed a brand, with food & beverages brands leading the list (59 percent), followed by beauty, hygiene, and personal care (40 percent) and household supplies and homecare (35 percent).
Fashion and sportswear is another category where around a third of participants claimed they have boycotted a brand (32 percent).
Comparatively, fewer people have boycotted brands from real estate or travel categories, the survey said.
On being asked how soon they return to a brand that they once boycotted, a majority of consumers in both markets said they returned to the brand in less than six months, while one in five consumers (19 percent) started using or buying from the brand one week after the scandal, while twice this number (37 percent) waited up to a month.
The survey results come at a time when a slew of global brands faced consumers’ ire for various reasons in recent times.
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