Carrotmobbing: consumers show their love for green businesses en masse

As a hippyshopper reader, the odds are you'll have a favourite green business or two that you return to time and again. It could be an online store, a cafe or restaurant or even a pub that takes its ethical responsibilities seriously. And you may have found yourself wishing you could tell more people how great it is. Now, a new idea from our American friends lets you do this while having fun and making friends: it's called carrotmobbing.

Read on to find out how you can get involved...

The idea is to identify these fabulous, socially and ethically beneficial businesses and flood them with consumer love by mobilising other carrotmobbers to descent on a pre-selected business and 'rewarding' it with custom. As well as being a lot of fun, carrotmobbing recognises that while we make a small difference in our own consumer choices, we can make a much bigger impact if we act together. The 'carrot' bit refers to using our buying-power as an incentive, rather than the 'stick' approach of boycots and the like. It also sounds kinda green...Britain's first carrot mob took place last week at The Redchurch pub near Brick Lane, with more meetups planned soon.

While I can't help thinking that carrotmobbing is a bit of a fad -- something most likely to attract trendy types who enjoy the feeling of doing something cool for the environment who won't necessarily take the exercise entirely seriously -- I do think the idea comes from a good place, and that it's a really positive thing to find news ways to encourage friends, family and internet 'buddies' towards our favourite eco-friendly haunts.

[Via The Guardian]

Comments