Publication Date
11-25-2025
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Journal of Business Research
Volume
204
DOI
10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115861
Abstract
This study explores how stakeholder reactions to corporate sociopolitical activism (CSA) on ‘X’ influence brand engagement and stock performance. Our research shifts focus from corporate messaging to stakeholder-driven conversations, demonstrating that CSA’s impact extends beyond brand statements and is shaped by public discourse. We analyze both direct replies to brand-authored CSA posts and organic user-initiated discussions, where consumers engage brands using hashtags and mentions. Using data from the 2022 humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, we examine 41,358 targeted user posts referencing 159 publicly traded brands’ CSA engagement. Sentiment analysis and topic modeling of 1,322 brand tweets, 39,578 replies, and stock data reveal that CSA amplifies both shoutouts (praise) and callouts (criticism). While shoutouts provide a brief stock boost before fading, callouts trigger a sustained decline in engagement and stock performance, creating a snowball effect. These findings highlight the trade-offs of CSA and the importance of proactive strategies in managing stakeholder responses.
Keywords
Brand performance, Callouts, Corporate sociopolitical activism, Shoutouts, Social media engagement, Stock market
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Marketing and Business Analytics
Recommended Citation
Mithila Guha, Daniel Korschun, and Trina Larsen Andras. "The Double-Edged Sword: Polarized Stakeholder Engagement With Corporate Sociopolitical Activism and Its Downstream Effects on Brand Performance" Journal of Business Research (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115861
