This article is riddled in huge assumptions about causality and the amplification that social media can offer, completely unhampered by any research. But the actual research that they do have interspersed in the article is interesting.
[…]Discovering that an ordinary purchase may be tied to exploitation or environmental damage creates a jolt of personal responsibility. In our research, we found that when environmental consequences are clearly linked to people’s own buying choices, many are willing to switch products—especially when credible alternatives exist.
But guilt is private. It nudges personal behavior. It does not automatically reshape systems. The shift happens when private discomfort becomes public voice.
Consumers are often also the first to make hidden environmental harms visible. They post evidence on social media. They question corporate claims. They compare sustainability promises with independent reporting. They organize petitions, boycotts and review campaigns. By shining a spotlight on the truth, the scrutiny shifts from shoppers to brands.
That shift matters because modern brands depend on trust. Reputation is an asset. When sustainability claims are publicly challenged, credibility is at risk. Research in organisational behaviourshows that firms respond quickly to threats to legitimacy. Reputational damage affects customer loyalty, investor confidence and regulatory attention.
[…]
When the gap between what companies say and what they do becomes visible, maintaining that gap becomes harder.
Our research explores how that visibility can be strengthened. The findings were clear. When environmental and social consequences are personalized and traceable, sustainability feels less distant. People see both their own role and the role of particular firms. That dual awareness encourages two responses: behavioral change driven by guilt and corporate accountability driven by shame.
Shame works because it is social. Brands care about how they are seen. When the negative environmental and social effects of supply chains can be publicly connected to named products, corporate narratives become contestable in real time.
[…]
Source: How shaming unethical brands makes companies improve their behavior
Robin Edgar
Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft