Cover ups and product recalls are the top reasons for boycotting a brand, according to global data firm YouGov’s latest report.

The study, which explored the nature of consumers that stop using a brand, found that of those who stopped using a brand, six in ten (59 per cent) still don’t.

“There have been a number of cases of brands getting in hot water with consumers over the past couple of years over issues such as tax avoidance or not treating staff well enough,” said Sej Patel, head of YouGov Australia.

“While it is not as straightforward as saying that every time a brand is seen to misbehave it will lose customers, there is a distinct proportion of consumers who will vote with their wallets.”

A third (33 per cent) stopped using a brand because of staff being treated unfairly (i.e. unfair working hours) and three in ten (30 per cent) were prompted by workers in the supply chain being treated badly.

YouGov’s report suggested that although some boycotting consumers do come back eventually, rarely do they use the brand as much as they did before, with six in ten (59 per cent) saying they still do not use the brand, while one in five (22 per cent) went back to the brand they used it less often. Only 17 per cent used it as much as previously.

Overall, nearly half the Australian population (44 per cent) say they “only buy products from companies that have ethics and values that I agree with”.

This rises to nearly three-fifths (58 per cent) among those who have boycotted a brand and no longer use it as much as they used to, if at all according to the report.

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