THE IMPACT OF CANCEL CULTURE ON CONSUMERS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY - An exploratory qualitative study on post-millenials

Abstract: The growth of cancel culture has been rapid within marketing and consumption during recent years. With the emergence of cancel culture, consumers have been enabled to use their voices to hold brands accountable, where social media has made information easily available making consumers constantly informed. In this study, cancel culture is defined as the idea where consumers will resist a brand that behaves in a way that is deemed to be problematic. Even though the effects of cancel culture can be severe, researchers have not paid enough attention to the phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of cancel culture on consumers’ consumption in the fashion industry. This study applies a qualitative research method using semi-structured interviews with a focus on post-millenials, where the study takes on a consumer perspective. This study’s findings has confirmed that cancel culture has an impact on post-millennials consumption in today's fashion industry. This is due to a growing awareness that has emerged among consumers, the affection and involvement of influencers on social media and due to the fact that the relationship between brands and consumers have been harmed, since a shift in power has emerged. This study provides valuable insights of a relatively new and unexplored subject that is arguably significant and relevant for brands, influencers, consumers and the fashion industry to understand.