Pride, not prejudice: a cross-cultural big data analysis of consumer reactions to rainbow-washing in advertising

Pride, not prejudice: a cross-cultural big data analysis of consumer reactions to rainbow-washing in advertising

Vaibhav Shwetangbhai Diwanji, Nhung Nguyen, Michaella Barros Coelho, Macy Burkett, Rim H. Chaif & Moses U. Okocha (Ph.D Student) (2025): Pride, not prejudice: a cross-cultural big data analysis of consumer reactions to rainbow-washing in advertising, International Journal of Advertising https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2025.2477405

Abstract: This study utilized a big data approach to investigate 128,520 consumer Reddit posts about rainbow-washing from non-Western (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa) and Western (USA, UK, Australia, Canada) cultures. The findings reveal both micro-level linguistic narratives and macro-level cultural differences in how consumers react to rainbow-washing. This research deepens our understanding of consumer activism against ‘woke’ brands, contributing to both intercultural and narrative-based theories of advertising.

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