MECM90034
Marketing & Media in a
Global Context
Renee Peterson: Guest
Lecturer
Week 11 Lecture
CANCEL CULTURE
Cancel Culture
“A mass public shaming, with millions of people
saying you are quote-unquote canceled, is a very
isolating experience.”
Taylor Swift
"I don’t think there are that many people who can
actually understand what it’s like to have millions of
people hate you very loudly," she added. “When
you say someone is canceled, it’s not a TV show.
It’s a human being. You’re sending mass amounts
of messaging to this person to either shut up or
disappear”.
Taylor Swift
Renee Peterson and Taylor Swift 2
(2024)
Cancel Culture
“The problem we have online is that an algorithm
decides
what we want to see, which ends up creating a simplistic,
binary view of society. It becomes a case of either you’re
with us or against us. And if you’re against us, you
deserve to be ‘cancelled’,”
Rowan Atkinson
3
Comedian and actor
Cancel Culture
“What have we done with
society when everybody’s
getting canceled?
And can’t there be room for
maturity?
Justin Bieber
Renee Peterson and Justin Bieber 4
(2024)
What is Cancel Culture?
• We defined cancel culture as “collective desire by consumers to withdraw support of those
individuals and brands in power, perceived to be involved in objectionable behaviour or activities
through the use of social media’ (Saldanha et al., 2022; p 2).
• The term ‘cancel culture’ is credited to Black users of Twitter and grew from social
media conversations prompted by the #MeToo movement in 2017 and subsequently
other movements that demanded greater accountability from public figures.
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What is Cancel Culture?
• Cancelling someone makes me as an individual feel like I
have a voice that matters, that is making an impact and
that I can take back control over what’s happening around
me.
• Today’s consumers who are even in slight disagreement
with a brand’s message have the ability to amplify
objections more easily and vocally than ever.
• Brands must take a stand and demonstrate their values, as
staying silent is not the answer
• 65% of millennials saying they wouldn’t buy from a brand
(Edelman Trust Barometer Study, 2020).
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What is Cancel Culture?
• A 2018 Edelman study showed that 64% of consumers would buy or boycott a brand based
solely on its stance on a social or political issue.
• Brands should also note that 60% of consumers in the same survey wanted to see a brand’s
values and positions on critical issues before making a purchase
• More recently, the dentsu 2022 report* showed that, globally, 44% of adults had stopped using
a brand because of a company’s social or political stance;
• 45% believe that cultural movements on social media such as #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo
have a positive effect on society.
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*dentsu 2022 CCS study = Consumer Connection System
Cancel Culture and Australia
• The “Cancel Culture and Acceptance in Australia – Exploring Australians’ Acceptance of Others and their
Worldview” report found
– 3 in 5 Australians, particularly Gen Z (those aged 18-27), hide their beliefs on social topics or issues
from others at certain times
– A further quarter of Australians have hidden their perspective on topical issues because they’re afraid
of how people respond.
• According to Mainstreet Insights, (65%) believe that cancel culture is affected when and with whom they share
their opinions.
• (52%) are struggling to be their authentic self for fear of judgement or exclusion, while (54%) have hidden
their perspective on topical issues because they’re afraid of how people will respond.
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Cancel Culture and America
From a study of 10,093 U.S. adults, conducted Sept. 8-13,
2020
• 44% of Americans say they have heard at least a fair
amount about the phrase, including 22% who have
heard a great deal, 56% say they’ve heard nothing or
not too much about it, 38% who have heard nothing at
all
• 64% of adults under 30 say they have heard a great
deal or fair amount about cancel culture, that drops to
46% among those ages 30 to 49 and 34% among those
50 and older
• Men are more likely than women to be familiar with
the term, as are those who have a bachelor’s or
advanced degree when compared with those who have
lower levels of formal education
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Social media
• Platforms like X - Twitter, Tik Tok, Reddit,
Instagram are commonly used to shame people
and brands. Tik Tok have channels where
content creators are discussing ‘Celebrity
Cancel Culture’.
• dentsu’s 2022 Consumer Connection Study shows that
shows that whilst 80 per cent of the Irish population
look at social media every week, only 28 per cent
actively post every week.
• Statistics revel that the fear of judgement or negative
reactions has caused many Britons to hold back on
expressing their political or social views, with 57 per
cent saying they have censored themselves and that 81
per cent of Irish are concerned about mass shaming on
social media (2022 dentsu Pulse study).
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Cancel Culture Framework
Dr Natalya Saldanha (2024)
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Power within relationships
theory
• The consumer, by cancelling the celebrity or brand, exerts their influence and power by withdrawing
support, avoiding purchase, and boycotting ideals and values.
• Power differences between relationship partners reflect various characteristics of the individuals within
the relationship, of the relationship itself, and of the larger environment in which the relationship
functions.
• Power differences cause imbalances in relationships, including those between the influence agent
(consumer) and the influence target (celebrity and brand).
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Power within relationships
theory
• Within the cancel culture context, the consumer personality is considered as personal attributes which
could be either anxious or avoidant.
• Anxiety and avoidance arise when relationships are unstable and there is a threat or loss of attachment.
• Insecure attachments (either anxious or avoidant) emerge when an attachment figure is not physically or
emotionally available to serve as a haven and secure base.
• Anxious and avoidant consumers tend to develop more and stronger relationships with brands than
secure consumers.
• Consumers high in attachment anxiety and avoidance are more likely to engage in anti-brand actions
after a negative incident or the termination of a brand relationship
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Cancelling
Brands
• Consumers with a strong
emotional attachment to a
product are less likely to boycott
and engage in any negative activity
toward the brand, compared to
anxious consumers who will more
likely cancel brands.
• Pepsi removed this television
commercial featuring
supermodel and reality tv star
from ‘The Kardashians’, Kendell
Jenner.
14
Cancelling
Brands
• A classic brand, from Quaker Oats,
The Aunt Jemima brand of syrup
and pancake mix was cancelled
because of its perceived racial
stereotype of a black woman. The
brand was pulled from
supermarket shelves completely
and is now known as 'Pearl Milling
Company’.
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Cancelling Brands 13
Cancelling Celebrities
• The #MeToo movement, with its mandate of
exposing the scope of sexual harassment and
assault, turbocharged cancel culture
• Research has shown that individuals tend to
rely on negative information more heavily
than positive information when forming
evaluative judgments.
• Negative information is better remembered
and more easily recalled resulting in potential
cancel behaviours
(Suffolk Journal)
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Cancelling Celebrities
• Kanye West: Lost deals after controversial
statements and attire.
• Elon Musk: Criticized for management style and
racial comments.
• Chris Brown: Assaulted Rihanna.
• Blake Lively: Criticized for It Ends with Us
promotion amid domestic violence themes.
• Ellen DeGeneres: Reputation affected by
workplace toxicity claims.
• Harvey Weinstein: Key figure in #MeToo
movement.
• James Franco: Sexual misconduct allegations.
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• Kevin Spacey: Accused of sexual misconduct.
Celebrity Understanding Cancel Culture:
Kim Kardashian
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What action can be taken?
• Brands should not yield to controversy and public pressure
• Brands should maintain their stance on causes that reflect both the brand’s ideology and its commitment
to consumers.
• A “call in” might help brands take reactive measures to either reassure consumers about their campaign
• A call in could be an interview with the brand’s spokesperson or the celebrity themselves
• Constant monitoring and measurement of consumers’ interactions with front-line employees/ customer-
service/social media
• Verifying the severity level of negative past experiences and the consumers’ level of loyalty
• Integrating positive reference groups and minimizing negative associations with the brand can help
brands to mitigate cancel culture
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Thank you + Weekly Readings
Required readings
• Natalya Saldanha, Rajendra Mulye & Kaleel Rahman (2022)
Cancel culture and the consumer: A strategic marketing
perspective, Journal of Strategic
Marketing
• Ng, E. (2020). No Grand Pronouncements Here...: Reflections
on Cancel Culture and
Digital Media Participation. Television & New Media, 21(6),
621–627.
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REFERENCES
Blake Lively. (2024). Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/blakelively/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=835b2b60-a6c4-4e38-980f-2fe1a4a59c75
Peterson, R. (2024). Instagram. https://instagram.com/reneepeterson
Suffolk Journal. (2024). Opinion: Redefining cancel culture—How consequence culture can be beneficial. https://thesuffolkjournal.com/41155/opinion/opinion-redefining-cancel-culture-
how-consequence-culture-can-be-beneficial/#modal-photo
Page Six. (2024). Canceled celebrities: Where are they now? https://pagesix.com/article/canceled-celebrities-where-are-they-now/
Economic Times. (2021, January 8). From canceled to person of the year: Taylor Swift's unfiltered journey. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/from-canceled-to-
person-of-the-year-taylor-swifts-unfiltered-journey/articleshow/105791417.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
CNBC. (2021, January 8). Twitter permanently suspends Trump's account. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/twitter-permanently-suspends-trumps-account.html
FCU Coyote Journalism. (2024). The effects of cancel culture. https://fcuscoyotejournalism.com/2807/uncategorized/the-effects-of-cancel-culture/
IMDb. (2024). It Ends With Us. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10655524/
ABC News. (2024, September 3). Singapore to outlaw cancel culture: Is it possible? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-03/singapore-to-outlaw-cancel-culture-is-it-possible/102705826
Dailymail. (2024, June 6). Cancel culture in Hollywood: Blake Lively’stone-deaf fallen grace. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13763373/Cancel-culture-Hollywood-Blake-
Lively-tone-deaf-fallen-grace.html
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REFERENCES
FCU Coyote Journalism. (2024). The effects of cancel culture. https://fcuscoyotejournalism.com/2807/uncategorized/the-effects-of-cancel-culture/
Hollywood Reporter. (2024, June 6). Jennifer Lopez’s unlikability canceled her tour. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/jennifer-lopez-unlikability-canceled-
tour-1235917110/
People. (2024, June 6). Kim Kardashian says she’s never really been into cancel culture: ‘I always own up’. https://people.com/tv/kim-kardashian-says-never-really-been-into-
cancel-culture-i-always-own-up/
New York Post. (2024, June 6). What is the Digitine? How social media users are targeting out-of-touch celebs and influencers. https://nypost.com/2024/06/06/lifestyle/what-
is-the-digitine-how-social-media-users-are-targeting-out-of-touch-celebs-and-influencers/
TikTok. (2024). Search results for Perez Hilton Blake Lively cancelled.
https://www.tiktok.com/search?lang=en&q=perez%20hilton%20blake%20lively%20cancelled&t=1727929865049
TikTok. (2024). Discover celebrity canceled list 2024. https://www.tiktok.com/discover/celebrity-canceled-list-2024?lang=en
Vox. (2024, December 30). What is cancel culture? Explained. https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/12/30/20879720/what-is-cancel-culture-explained-history-debate
WARC. (2024, August 5). Cancel culture or calling it in? Which option works for you? https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/cancel-culture-or-calling-it-in-which-
option-works-for-you/en-gb/6092
WatchMojo. (2024). Top 20 celebs who keep getting canceled. https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-20-celebs-who-keep-getting-cancelled
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