Forces Driving Social Media Discourse: Insights from Markets, Policies, Companies, and Influencers
(A2025-126184)

AUTHORS

Serena Pugliese, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds; Boshuo Guo, the University of Leeds; Anastasia Nanni, Aalto Business School; Noora Al Siyabi, University of Leeds

ABSTRACT

This session brings together four studies examining how diverse actors and phenomena drive and reflect shifts in social media discourse. Consumer conversations on social media are influenced by market forces, corporate strategies, policy interventions, and influencer-driven collaborations. By addressing these elements within distinct but interconnected contexts, the session offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the forces shaping online consumer behaviour. The first study, Using GPT to Identify Scarcity from Social Media Data (Guo, Ulqinaku, Bailey), explores the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) for analysing consumer responses to financial and product scarcity in online word-of-mouth. By processing extensive social media data, the study demonstrates how LLMs can efficiently identify scarcity-related posts, providing researchers and policymakers with a tool for rapid response to economic and supply chain disruptions. The second study, Lights, Camera, Backlash? The Double-Edged Sword of Service Provider Media Exposure (Nanni, Giannetti, Ulqinaku), examines how televised portrayals affect consumer sentiment in the hospitality sector. Using TripAdvisor reviews, the study reveals that while media exposure generates attention and engagement, it also raises consumer expectations, sometimes leading to reputational risks when those expectations are unmet. The third study, Understanding the Privacy Paradox: Consumer Reactions to Italy's ChatGPT Ban (Pugliese, Rossetti, Nanni), investigates the privacy paradox through Italy’s regulatory ban on ChatGPT. The research analyses how the intervention amplified privacy concerns while paradoxically encouraging behaviours like VPN usage to bypass restrictions. These findings highlight the challenges of increasing privacy awareness in digital ecosystems. The fourth study, How Collaboration Influences Social Media Engagement in Place Branding (Al Siyabi, Guo, Marsden), examines how various collaboration types—government, business, and multi-influencer partnerships—affect consumer engagement in social media place-branding campaigns. Results show that collaboration strategies and content themes significantly influence sharing and commenting metrics. Together, these studies advance theoretical understanding of how market dynamics, corporate influence, regulatory actions, and collaborative strategies shape social media discourse. The session highlights social media as a dynamic space where multiple actors converge to influence consumer behaviour and interactions.