Are consumers overseas who are against the Iraq war seeking out alternatives to American brands?
It’s not like all of a sudden sales have dropped dramatically. And I don’t think you’ll see a cop in front of every American retail outlet. There can always be blips — slowing sales because of certain elements, but the reality is that consumer democracy works pretty well. The people who raise their voices on these issues don’t necessarily represent overall consumer sentiment. Q: If these protests and boycotts don’t represent consumer sentiment, why are they getting so much attention? A: It’s easy to show the sentiment through these stories because it’s so dramatic. I wouldn’t overrate this in the long term. Q: What might the effect of boycotts on American products have on the bottom line? A: I don’t think companies can ignore [protests and boycotts] completely. If you look at the next quarter, maybe there will be an effect. If you look down the road, it won’t be memorable. In many cases, people don’t know where the brands are from. They don’t see Colgate (CL ) as an American brand, bu
