Understanding the Effect of Attitude in Cancel Culture Towards Attitudes and Engagement on Purchase Decisions

Abstract

The phenomenon of cancel culture has had significant effects on the marketing landscape. Such a phenomenon is observed when well-known and influential entities—individuals or brands— face public backlash for certain actions perceived by the general public and/or consumers as unacceptable for them. To situate this phenomenon to the field and context of commerce and business, this study seeks to uncover how brand canceling on social media affects consumers specifically among Filipino Gen Z. By utilizing convenience sampling, the study gathered insights from 395 respondents to understand the unique characteristics of Filipino Gen Z deeply. This study aims to provide valuable insights to improve brand marketing to Filipino consumers in the digital age, determine how brand controversies shape Filipino consumers' purchasing decisions and brand perception, explore the extent to which consumers’ decision-making was affected when a brand is canceled, and provide adequate strategies that brands can navigate to recover after cancellation.