The Approaches of the Brands to the Cynical Attitudes in Social Media

Negative experiences, dissatisfaction, loss of confidence, unmet expectations of the brand cause consumers to exhibit cynical attitudes towards the brand. Consumers share their negative experiences about a brand using social media due to its easy accessibility. This situation can cause negative feelings and thoughts about the brand to spread rapidly among consumers and can produce extremely destructive results in terms of the brand. The aim of this study is to examine the approaches of brands to cynical attitude in social media. In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted with the social media experts of two different food sector brands operating in Istanbul. Factors such as brands’ proven record in food industry and their activities in international markets were significant in selecting these two brands for in-depth interview. The results of this study are important in terms of showing what kind of approaches the brands should take in face of the cynical attitudes that occur in social media and the approaches that should be taken in line with these attitudes. In addition, the study aims to shed light on both national and international brands that face the cynical attitudes in social media, and this study will establish a baseline for the future studies, thanks to its novel subject-matter.