When Reality Outweighs Ethics in Cancel Culture: A Theorisation, Modelling, and Empirical Exploration of Brand Cancellation

Abstract: The phenomenon of cancel culture is one we all witness and sometimes partake in, and it has recently become a hot topic in research. However, the literature on this phenomenon is still in its infancy. Scholars have attempted to understand cancel culture by looking at cases where public figures and celebrities are targeted, but not enough attention has been paid to the ins and outs of cancel culture when it targets brands. This thesis provides a theory on cancel culture when it targets brands that captures the diverse and complex sub-phenomena underpinning it. The most relevant of the findings made in this theory is that two antagonistic dynamics are at play in cancel culture. First, there is an initial driving force that pushes consumers to cancel brands, manifested in three different cancellation dynamics originating from: (1) brand transgression; (2) community pressure; and/or (3) one’s inclination to be morally virtuous. Second, another antagonistic force in the form of a Reality Check that prevents individuals from cancelling brands despite the fact that all of the necessary conditions are met for this to happen. This theory has been developed on the basis of theoretical concepts obtained from previous literature and the subjectivities obtained in focus groups.