The Good, The Bad and the Socially Responsible: Managing a Brand Reputation Crisis After being Cancelled

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concepts of brand integrity, brand reputation, brand crisis management and communication strategies used by brands to combat the cancel culture setting. This exploratory study may also aid marketing practitioners in developing appropriate crisis management strategies in response to such a crisis. Research Question: what is the relationship between Cancel culture and Brand Integrity and Brand Reputation? and What crisis management/Communication strategies techniques do brands use to deal with cancel culture? Design/Methodology approach: An exploratory research study conducted qualitatively using a multiple case study and theoretical framework used as the basis of the analysis of the aforementioned cases through the use of content analysis. Findings: The extent of the crisis management practices, and scope of the communication strategies used by brands is directly proportional to the severity of the crisis. These findings were illustrated using a 2 by 2 framework. Research implication/limitations: Lack of literature surrounding the topic due to the recent emergence of the phenomenon. The findings of this paper could not be generalized for all situations revolving around cancel culture and brands due to this paper’s limited scope. Originality/value: This paper is the first of its kind to study the effects of a relatively new phenomenon known as cancel culture on brand reputation and brand integrity.