Examining social media backlash to brand campaigns, and brand responses to it

Abstract

Brands, in an increasingly online world, are subjected to constant scrutiny on social media. Their online communications and campaigns, if they are not cautious, could become a subject for trolling or face a heavy backlash for multiple reasons. We present four major brand communication instances that transpired in the second half of 2020 and analyse the reasons for the backlash they received. We classify them based on how they compare vis a vis five parameters that capture the nature of the communication, the nature of the trolls, and the reputation of the brand. We also present a framework to position the brands based on two critical factors - trigger for the backlash and intensity of the backlash. Using a similar 2x2 framework, we analyse the responses of the brands and explain the differences in their response strategy. Finally, we look at the possible impact of the backlash and the response on consumer’s purchase intention of a product of the brand, with the help of a short survey. We compare the brands on their credibility and see its impact on purchase intention.