When controversy meets controversy, what do you see? Understanding the visual communication of cannabis companies’ corporate social advocacy on Instagram

Abstract

While businesses are increasingly active in raising voices for social and political issues, known as corporate social advocacy (CSA), the strategies, impacts, and ethics of controversial businesses’ CSA are largely unknown. This study draws on the visual framing theory and CSA literature to explore how visual framings are constructed in cannabis companies’ CSA and their effects on public engagement (i.e., likes and comments) on Instagram. Findings from content analysis of 502 Instagram posts by 42 cannabis companies reveal that cannabis companies construct the meaning of CSA via various visual strategies. However, they may still have a long way to go before initiating authentic image-based CSA. Regression analyses found that gender, color, and issue category are among influential visual characteristics that can foster or impede public engagement, raising critical consideration of cannabis companies’ positionality in corporate activism. This study advances the theory-driven, nuanced, and contextualized understanding of corporate communication in today’s polarized public opinion environment and increasingly visual-focused media landscape.