The power of ineffective moves (would Eugene Landy boycott NVIDIA?)

Let's start with a recap of three posts that I wrote in late December.

On angering your customers - sometimes it's a good thing. I wrote this on December 23, and at the time I noted that all of the anti-SOPA moves toward GoDaddy were serving to get GoDaddy's name plastered all over the place. However, GoDaddy's entire marketing strategy is to get its name plastered all over the place. Which reminds me - I think we have less than a month before this year's "Will GoDaddy ads make the Super Bowl cut" tempest in a teapot. The fact that GoDaddy withdrew its support for SOPA as it currently stood, coupled with continued anger at GoDaddy, served to have no appreciable effect toward passage of SOPA. Although I guess it made people feel really good.

If you're boycotting GoDaddy, who else are you boycotting? This post, also written on December 23, included a list of a number of companies who support SOPA. Did you watch TV, listen to the radio, or play a CD over the past few days? Did you wear makeup? Or maybe you just used a credit card? Or read a book? Or took some medication? Well, you probably just showed your support for SOPA.

The power of ineffective moves (would Eugene Landy boycott GoDaddy?) This December 26 post summarized the previous posts, while noting a move that WOULD stop SOPA - namely, roughly $100 million of lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. Whether you're willing to admit it or not, if the pro-SOPA organizations are spending tens of millions of dollars for Capitol Hill lobbying, and the anti-SOPA organizzations aren't doing this, the pro-SOPA organizations will win.

[3:15 PM: anti-SOPA organizations, not anti-SOPA organizzations]

Which brings us to 2012, and some new anti-SOPA moves. One of them was described on a Google+ post that appeared earlier today.

Announcing Operation Green #opgreen

Today we are announcing our first request for direct action. Our target is +NVIDIA, and the objective is to force the company to change its position on #SOPA

NVidia is all over the press these days, because of the #CES, and we have to take this opportunity to show those in charge at the company that their #SOPA support is not appreciated

Course of Action

Main targets are NVidia's social media channels.

+NVIDIA on Google Plus

NVidia on Twitter: https://twitter.com//NVIDIA

NVidia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NVIDIA

The Message

Be polite and straight to the point.

NVidia has already deleted some comments left on their Facebook page last night meaning that they are reading them

On Twitter use #opgreen and, if you follow the account, stop following it and let them know why. Example (I just stopped following NVidia because it supports #SOPA #opgreen)

If you have any other ideas feel free to leave them in the comments and we will update this post accordingly

Let #opgreen begin

Read + Share + Spread + ACT = Stop #SOPA

At the time I viewed this Google+ item, it had been liked by 74 people and shared by 92 people.

As you may be able to gather from my previous posts, I predict that the chances of this effort having a major effect on SOPA are approximately 0%.

First off, who is NVIDIA?

Founded in 1993, NVIDIA has continuously reinvented itself to delight users and shape the industry. From our roots in PC graphics, we expanded into professional graphics and high-performance computing. Our recent move into mobile computing puts us at the center of one of the industry's fastest-growing segments.

Unlike GoDaddy, NVIDIA is a publicly-traded company (NVDA on the NASDAQ exchange). As of this afternoon it had a market value of $8.6 billion dollars, trades approximately 15 million shares per day, and has over 610 million shares outstanding.

So how are the Stop SOPA folks attacking this multi-billion dollar company? Via...COMMENTS.

Hi +NVIDIA , your support of #SOPA is unacceptable. I love your products but, until you change your position regarding this bill, that attempts to freedom of speech on the internet, I am boycotting your products and make sure that those around me do the same.

Hi +NVIDIA I have been a long time NVIDIA product user, and I'll make you a deal. If SOPA passes I will NEVER buy one of your products again. Not even a laptop or motherboard that uses one of your chipsets. Ever.

+NVIDIA Your support of #SOPA is not acceptable. There's a right way to do this, but you know that #SOPA isn't it. Please withdraw your support and try to work on a good solution instead.

If you continue to support #SOPA i will no longer buy your products though i do enjoy them. I will do everything in my power and anymore PC's i build for customers i will not recommend or use your products. This support of #SOPA is absolutely ridiculous and i hope you realize your folly supporting this!

I just saw the new driver update from NVIDIA in Windows update, but all I could think was "SOPA".

Now this is just a sampling of the several dozen comments that appeared on this post. Now assuming that everyone of these people, and then some, follow through on their promises and never buy an NVDIA product again...

...how much impact will that have on this multi-billion dollar company?

Yup, that's right. None.