# Why Scott Galloway Is Choosing to Resist and Unsubscribe | Office Hours Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPGBj0izfUc Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/qPGBj0izfUc Generated: 2026-02-06T17:08:26.534+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The best strategy for individual resistance against powerful corporations is to target their advertising revenue, which is a far more immediate and effective pressure point than broad consumer subscription cancellations, as Meta derives 98% of its revenue from ads, making it highly sensitive to advertiser shifts. **Key Points:** - The primary leverage point against major tech companies is targeting advertising revenue, not consumer subscriptions, because platforms like Meta rely on ads for 98% of their income. - A Reddit user questioned whether coordinated ethical media buying is a more realistic lever than a population-wide consumer strike, highlighting the difficulty of achieving mass consumer action. - The speaker notes that Meta's revenue is overwhelmingly advertising-based (98%), compared to Alphabet (75%) and Amazon (10%), making Meta the most vulnerable to advertiser pressure. - If 10% of shoppers reduce spending by 50% at a major retailer like Kroger, it results in a significant revenue hit (5% decrease), illustrating the potential power of small consumer shifts. - The speaker admits that political polarization makes it difficult to persuade advertisers based on moral grounds, but stresses that market signals (like stock drops) are the only language politicians respond to. - The risk of the 'Resist and Unsubscribe' movement backfiring exists if the action becomes overly politicized, leading to job losses or harm to those who disagree with the movement's politics. - The speaker encourages viewers to subscribe and remain engaged to stay updated on the ongoing effectiveness and potential blowback of these resistance efforts. ![Screenshot at 0:06: The speaker introduces the premise that small disruptions to subscription revenue across major tech companies can cause a ripple effect felt by the market and politicians.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qPGBj0izfUc/00-00-06.jpg) **Context:** This episode of Office Hours with Prof G addresses listener questions regarding the effectiveness and potential risks of the 'Resist and Unsubscribe' movement, which advocates for consumers to cancel subscriptions and boycott companies deemed to have an outsized negative influence on the national economy and politics. The discussion centers on whether targeting consumer spending or advertiser spending is the more potent lever for creating change, especially when dealing with politically sensitive issues. ## Detailed Analysis The speaker addresses a listener question about whether targeting advertisers instead of consumers is a more effective pressure point for the 'Resist and Unsubscribe' movement. The speaker agrees that targeting advertisers is likely more efficient because companies like Meta rely overwhelmingly on advertising revenue (98% of revenue), compared to Alphabet (75%) and Amazon (10%). A small percentage shift in ad spending can cause a significant market capitalization drop, such as the speaker suggesting a 10% reduction in spending at Kroger could result in a 5% revenue decrease, demonstrating the impact of even minor shifts in advertiser behavior. The speaker acknowledges that convincing advertisers based on moral arguments is difficult due to political polarization, but argues that politicians respond primarily to market signals, like stock performance. The speaker also addresses the risk of the movement backfiring if it becomes too politicized, potentially causing job losses or economic harm to people who do not share the political views of the activists, though he ultimately believes taking action is better than inaction, quoting the adage: 'A bad decision is wrong, no decision is worse.' ### Question 1 - Effectiveness of Resistance Levers: Coordinated ethical media buying is a more realistic lever than a population-wide consumer strike - Consumer strikes are difficult to coordinate effectively, whereas advertiser pull directly impacts the revenue streams of major tech platforms. ### Question 2 - Backfire Scenarios: The movement could backfire if it becomes overly politicized, leading to job losses or harm to individuals who disagree with the political stances involved - The speaker is not telling people to stop buying essentials like groceries or electricity, but rather targeting discretionary spending and subscription services. ### Meta's Revenue Dependence - Meta derives 98% of its revenue from advertising, making it highly sensitive to advertiser decisions - Alphabet is at 75% and Amazon is at 10% advertising revenue, showing different levels of vulnerability. ### The Power of the Dollar - A 10% reduction in shopper spend by 50% at a company like Kroger results in a 5% revenue drop, showing that small shifts in consumer behavior still matter. ### Conclusion on Action - The speaker favors taking action (like unsubscribing from social media feeds) over inaction, even if the action is imperfect or unpopular with some, because market signals drive political response. ![Screenshot at 0:26: The host opens the Q&A segment, introducing the theme of resistance and unsubscription.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qPGBj0izfUc/00-00-26.jpg) ![Screenshot at 0:34: A slide displays the 'Ground Zero' tech companies \(Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Paramount+\) targeted for unsubscribing due to their influence.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qPGBj0izfUc/00-00-34.jpg) ![Screenshot at 0:54: The first question slide appears, asking how boycotting businesses and cancelling subscriptions impacts the market, given that Trump responds to market signals.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qPGBj0izfUc/00-00-54.jpg) ![Screenshot at 2:23: The speaker discusses that consumer action \(non-participation\) gives users power in a consumer-driven economy, contrasting it with the unpredictable nature of external shocks like COVID or 9/11.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qPGBj0izfUc/00-02-23.jpg) ![Screenshot at 11:09: A bar chart illustrates the high reliance of Meta \(98%\) on advertising revenue compared to Alphabet \(75%\) and Amazon \(10%\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/qPGBj0izfUc/00-11-09.jpg)