Strategies and Crisis Management Concerning the Cancel Culture in Influencer Marketing : A qualitative study on how influencers strategically prevents and tackles the phenomena cancel culture, along with the source for cancellation

Abstract: Abstract  Background: Circumstances deemed immoral conduct within the influencer marketing industry provoke eloquent sentiments and originated the phenomenon referred to as cancel culture. In spite of the industry's expansion and influencer marketing growth in revenue, there is presently a scarcity of academic research on influencer strategies that manage the cancel culture within social media. Additionally, how crisis management corresponds to the cancel culture is equally inadequately to address.    Problem: The dearth of research elucidated an identified knowledge gap pertaining to the strategies employed by influencers when faced with rejection by followers and society. Customers are more frequently holding influencers accountable for their actions, ultimately damaging brands’ reputations and wrecking careers.     Purpose: The research aims to provide knowledge on the unexplored horizon of how influencers modify strategies on social media when committing personal transgression that harms the public image. Analyzing consumers' causes for canceling emerge influencers' comprehension of implementing suitable prevention strategies and recovery maneuvers.    Method: The research is based on a qualitative inquiry and incorporates a deductive methodology, along with a multiple case study leveraging an interpretivism paradigm. In order to gather primary data, six semi-structured interviews were performed among influencers and consumers located in Sweden.    Conclusion: The outcome demonstrates the origin of consumers’ initiative that erodes the phenomena cancel culture based on three components; the domino effect, follower engagement, and source criticism. The data illustrated altering strategies are covered by the three crisis management fundamentals; pre-crisis, response, and post-crisis. Ultimately, the three strategies adopted to tackle the cancel culture within influencer marketing were; change in communication, lessen privacy, and third-party appliance.