Emotion-Driven Digital Firestorms: The Role of Moral Triggers and Influencer Alignment in Cancel Culture Crises

Abstract

Emotion-driven digital firestorms have become a defining feature of cancel culture crises, where brand reputations are increasingly shaped by morally charged emotions amplified through social media. Drawing on Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and Neutralisation Theory, this study examines how moral triggers and influencer alignment shape emotional escalation and post-crisis consumer responses. Focusing on the apparel brands Fabindia and ZARA, a mixed-methods design was employed. BERT-based emotion detection identified anger, disgust, and sadness as the dominant emotional responses, while NLTK-driven thematic analysis revealed that emotional reactions were rooted in broader moral narratives concerning cultural identity, religious symbolism, humanitarian concerns, and ethical responsibility. A factorial experiment involving 500 consumers demonstrated that influencers perceived as highly empathetic and culturally authentic generated significantly higher brand trust, more favourable brand attitudes, and stronger purchase intentions.