Journal of Digital Marketing and Communication

Brand Animosity as a Driver of Digital Boycotts: How Socio-Political Issues Shape Generation Z Consumer Behaviour in Indonesia

2026-05-08T00:30:59+00:00

The rise of digitally mediated consumer activism has fundamentally altered the dynamics between global brands and value-conscious consumers. This study investigates how socio-political issues activate brand animosity among Generation Z consumers in a Muslim-majority emerging market context and how such animosity translates into digital boycott participation. The research adopts a qualitative exploratory design grounded in an integrative framework that combines Brand Animosity Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and Cognitive Dissonance Theory. Data were collected through netnographic observation across TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram between December 2024 and January 2026, supplemented by twelve semi-structured, in-depth interviews with purposively selected Generation Z respondents aged 18–24 years. Theoretical saturation was assessed through systematic monitoring of code novelty rates, with the final two interviews yielding fewer than 5% new codes. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to the interview transcripts and netnographic field notes, with inter-coder agreement testing conducted on a 25% subsample, yielding a Cohen's kappa value of 0.81. The findings reveal three primary mechanisms through which socio-political issues generate brand animosity: moral-religious framing of geopolitical conflict, viral social contagion of negative brand associations, and collective identity reinforcement through digital solidarity rituals. Cognitive dissonance resolution and digital social norm pressure operate as critical mediating pathways between brand animosity and actual boycott participation. The study proposes a tentative construct labelled networked moral outrage, conceptualised as a digital-era extension of brand animosity that complements existing constructs of online moral outrage and digital activism while remaining grounded in brand-level affect. The findings have important implications for brand crisis communication strategies in digitally connected emerging markets.

From Invisible to Unstoppable: How AI and Digital Marketing Transform IT Consulting Start-ups

2026-07-23T07:40:18+00:00

Information technology consulting start-ups in emerging markets faced considerable challenges in establishing market visibility against well-established competitors, particularly because of limited marketing resources. Although digital marketing and artificial intelligence were increasingly presented as potential solutions, limited empirical evidence had documented their adoption within this sector and context. This study examined how a Tunisian information technology consulting start-up perceived and used digital marketing and artificial intelligence to strengthen its competitive position. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the management team, clients, and a prospective client of a company anonymized as AlphaTech Consulting. The interview data were supplemented by a review of the relevant literature and analyzed using the thematic analysis approach proposed by Braun and Clarke. Thematic saturation was reached after the eighth interview. Five principal themes emerged. First, limited digital visibility was perceived as a major competitive constraint. Second, search engine optimization and the production of expert content were regarded as the most sustainable mechanisms for improving visibility. Third, artificial intelligence tools increased the volume, consistency, and frequency of marketing activities without requiring substantial additional resources, although systematic editorial oversight remained necessary. Fourth, a clear tension emerged between automated interactions and the relationship-based requirements of business-to-business consulting. Consequently, the company differentiated between activities managed through digital tools and those requiring direct consultant involvement. Fifth, customer data governance was viewed not merely as a regulatory obligation but also as an important indicator of credibility and trustworthiness. Based on these findings, ten managerial recommendations were developed across three implementation horizons. The study contributed to the literature on artificial intelligence adoption in the marketing practices of business-to-business service-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets by proposing a sequential hybridization model that combined automation with human interaction. The limitations associated with the single-case study design were also acknowledged.

The Influence of Public Relations Strategies and Organizational Culture on the Institutional Performance of the Garut Regional Narcotics Agency (BNNK) in Achieving Its Annual Accreditation

2026-07-14T01:08:32+00:00

Despite the relatively good institutional performance achieved by the Garut Regional Narcotics Agency (BNNK), several challenges remained, particularly in optimizing public communication, addressing limited human resources, and strengthening organizational culture, all of which could affect institutional performance. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the influence of Public Relations strategies and organizational culture on institutional performance at BNNK Garut. A quantitative causal research design was employed, involving all 85 employees using a census sampling technique. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using multiple linear regression with IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. The validity test confirmed that all questionnaire items were valid, while the reliability test demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach's Alpha values of 0.970 for Public Relations strategy, 0.955 for organizational culture, and 0.932 for institutional performance. The classical assumption tests indicated that the regression model satisfied the assumptions of normality (Kolmogorov–Smirnov significance = 0.200), absence of multicollinearity (Tolerance = 0.689; VIF = 1.450), and homoscedasticity. The findings revealed that Public Relations strategy had a positive and significant effect on institutional performance, organizational culture also had a positive and significant effect, and both variables simultaneously exerted a significant influence on institutional performance. The coefficient of determination (Adjusted R² = 0.410) indicated that 41% of the variance in institutional performance was explained by Public Relations strategy and organizational culture, while the remaining 59% was attributable to other factors outside the proposed model. These findings highlighted the importance of strengthening both external communication strategies and internal organizational culture to enhance institutional performance.