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University of Kansas expert says more Americans are voting with their dollars

A bin of peaches at a grocery store with people shopping for food in the background.
Blaise Mesa
/
Kansas News Service
Americans increasingly make shopping decisions based on their moral and political values.

Americans have increasingly been choosing where they spend their money based on social and political values. KU marketing and psychology professor Dr. Jessica Li shares what's behind this trend.

A recent poll found roughly 25% of Americans have recently stopped shopping at their favorite businesses. University of Kansas marketing professor Dr. Jessica Li says this isn't surprising in this polarized time because "marketing is a reflection of society."

Companies that face the most consumer backlash tend to go against their public perception.

"If your audience is relatively conservative, then engaging in initiatives that are seen as more liberal or progressive could really hurt you," Li says. "On the other hand, if you have a customer base that is more equality or equity focused and more progressive, then going back on something like DEI is really going to hurt you."

Li also tells KCUR's Up To Date that "buycotts," or mobilized support for specific businesses, are becoming more common.

"People are making sure to shop more at certain brands that fit their values," Li says.

  • Dr. Jessica Li, professor, University of Kansas School of Business
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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As the 2024-2025 Up to Date intern, I am passionate about finding diverse stories that allow public radio to serve as a platform for people in our area to share what matters to them. I grew up in the Kansas City metro, graduated from the University of Arkansas, and have previously worked as a producer for KUAF, Northwest Arkansas' NPR affiliate station. Email me at jmarvine@kcur.org.
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