New Guide Helps Businesses Weather Social Media Storms

Researchers introduce a toolkit to help organizations anticipate, interpret, and respond to online social disapproval more effectively.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Researchers have developed a digital toolkit to help businesses better navigate social media backlash, known as online social disapproval (OSD). The toolkit identifies four phases of OSD - preburst, initial burst, spreading and contagion, and recalibration - and provides guiding questions and analytical indicators to assist managers in early detection, response, and recovery. The study cautions that businesses need to define their own baseline for public response on social media, as past events can unexpectedly resurface and trigger renewed backlash.

Why it matters

Social media backlash can have significant reputational and financial consequences for businesses, as seen with the Peloton ad controversy in 2019 and Bud Light's partnership with a transgender influencer in 2023. This new research aims to equip organizations with a more robust framework to anticipate, interpret, and respond to these types of online crises.

The details

The toolkit, developed by Binghamton University researchers, combines a review of existing research with real-world cases. It identifies four phases of OSD - preburst, initial burst, spreading and contagion, and recalibration - and provides guiding questions and analytical indicators to help managers detect early warning signs, respond effectively, and navigate the aftermath. The researchers caution that businesses need to define their own baseline for public response on social media, as past events can unexpectedly resurface and trigger renewed backlash.

  • The Peloton ad controversy occurred in 2019.
  • Bud Light faced backlash over its partnership with a transgender influencer in 2023.

The players

Jinglu Jiang

Associate Professor at the Binghamton University School of Management and co-author of the study.

Binghamton University

A public university in New York and the #1 public university in the state, known for its academic excellence, innovative research, and student success.

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What they’re saying

“The whole point is that online social disapproval is different from traditional crisis management. It's not linear; it's more like a cycle, because of how the internet and social media algorithms create different bursting patterns affecting how these kinds of responses can spread.”

— Jinglu Jiang, Associate Professor

“The moment you observe that initial burst online, you need to be cautious and strategic about how you respond, because once it enters the spreading and contentious phase, it can become a social media battlefield that's more difficult to contain. That's something any business would want to avoid.”

— Jinglu Jiang, Associate Professor

What’s next

The researchers suggest that businesses need to define their own baseline for public response on social media, as past events can unexpectedly resurface and trigger renewed backlash.

The takeaway

This new research provides a comprehensive framework for businesses to better anticipate, interpret, and respond to social media backlash, which can have significant reputational and financial consequences if not managed effectively.