Exploring boycott dynamics: The influence of consumer emotions and social media activism

Analiza dynamiki bojkotów – rola emocji konsumentów i aktywizmu w mediach społecznościowych

The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of consumer boycotts and the impact that the engagement of social media users – triggered by the highly socially appealing situation – has on their development, growth, and dynamics. The research has been conducted using the current armed conflict brought on by Russia's aggression against Ukraine as a case study. Within a more general theoretical structure, authors have used the Actor–Network Theory as a conceptual framework for understanding human behaviour in this specific context. In times of conflict, consumer boycotts can serve as a powerful tool for individuals to express their beliefs and, at the same time, exert pressure on corporate policies. The research involved analysing the content posted on Facebook, the platform most frequently used by Polish-speaking consumers, to gain insight into their perceptions and attitudes towards brands that, according to publicly available information, have not decided to stop doing business on the territory of Russia. The method used to analyse the content was sentiment analysis, which involves examining the language used in the posts to determine whether it expresses positive or negative emotions or opinions about an issue, and how customers feel about companies in this very specific situation.

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest zbadanie zjawiska bojkotów konsumenckich oraz wpływu zaangażowania użytkowników mediów społecznościowych na ich rozwój i dynamikę. W ramach przeprowadzonych badań wykorzystano aktualny konflikt zbrojny wywołany agresją Rosji przeciwko Ukrainie jako studium przypadku. Ponadto, dla lepszego zrozumienia zachowań konsumentów, autorki zastosowały koncepcję ANT – Actor–Network Theory. W czasach konfliktu bojkoty konsumenckie mogą służyć jako potężne narzędzie, pozwalające jednostkom wyrazić swoje przekonania i jednocześnie wywierać presję na politykę podmiotów, przeciwko którym są skierowane. Przeprowadzone badania obejmowały analizę treści opublikowanych na Facebooku – platformie najczęściej używanej przez polskojęzycznych użytkowników – aby pozyskać wgląd w zawarte w nich opinie i postawy wobec marek, które według ogólnodostępnych informacji nie zdecydowały się zakończyć działalności na terytorium Rosji po wybuchu konfliktu zbrojnego. Metoda analizy treści opierała się na analizie sentymentu, która polega na badaniu języka używanego w postach w celu określenia, czy wyraża on pozytywne, czy negatywne emocje lub opinie na temat danej kwestii, oraz oceny, jak klienci czują się w tej bardzo konkretnej sytuacji.

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