Peer effects on brand activism: evidence from brand and user chatter on Twitter
Journal of Brand Management
; 2023.
Article
in English
| Scopus | ID: covidwho-2295893
ABSTRACT
Although brands appear to be taking public stands on sociopolitical issues with increasing frequency, the predictors of such strategies are still under-explored. In this research, we investigate whether the activism of peers has an effect on a brand's decision to engage in social media activism. Analysing tweets from 177 brands over a five-year period on three prominent sociopolitical issues (Black Lives Matter, LGBTQIA rights, and COVID-19 policies), we find evidence that brands not only monitor and react to peer social media activism, but that such peer effects occur across industries. Furthermore, the data support the notion that brands also monitor consumer reactions to peer social media activism in order to weigh the risk of taking a stand as well as the risk of staying silent. Overall, the findings suggest that while weighing the risks and benefits of engaging in activism on social media, brand managers monitor not only the activism of other brands, but also the real-time public reactions to those initiatives. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
Scopus
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Language:
English
Journal:
Journal of Brand Management
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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