It’s a “gidday” in the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business when an up and coming faculty member makes an impact at the international level. Mithila Guha, assistant professor of marketing, spent part of her summer presenting research in Sydney, Australia, at the 46th INFORMS Society for Marketing Science (ISMS) Conference. 

In June, the largest conference in the field of marketing was hosted by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and showcased over 180 competitive research sessions across 12+ parallel tracks. More than 600 speakers presented rigorous scientific research on key marketing issues. This is where Guha presented her latest research, “Beyond Hashtags: Do Consumer Social Media Activism Echo in Brand Performance?”, which was co-authored by colleagues Daniel Korschun and Trina Larsen Andras of Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.

Amid ongoing global crises and divisive political conversations on social media among brands and consumers, Guha’s research investigates the impact of consumer activism during the “2022 Russian invasion and Humanitarian Crises in Ukraine” on the performance of 159 top global brands. 

Analyzing a comprehensive dataset – including 41,358 activist tweets directed at these brands, 1,322 daily tweets from the brands, 39,578 user replies, and daily stock market data – the study reveals how consumer activism significantly influences social media engagement and stock performance. Guha’s research uses cutting edge and advanced topic modeling and text analysis tools to examine such large-scale unstructured social media datasets from ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). 

Their research findings underscore how brands can drive meaningful social impact by influencing consumer behavior and brand performance during global crises, highlighting that marketing has a social impact that extends beyond merely generating profit.

The idea for this research came about when Guha observed an intriguing trend over the past few years: brands and companies are no longer just about profits – they’re increasingly taking bold stances on sociopolitical issues that resonate with their audiences on social media platforms.

“This phenomenon piqued my interest and inspired me to dive into the world of social media activism,” said Guha. “It’s an exciting field that shows how marketing can be a force for good, driving positive societal change beyond just profit margins.”

While their research paper is currently under review, Guha says she is eagerly awaiting its publication so she can share the findings with a wider audience. 

“Representing SJSU on this international stage and sharing my research with such a diverse and engaged audience was truly unforgettable,” she said. “The energy and exchange of ideas left me inspired and eager to continue my work.”

In the meantime, Guha has more research that can be delved into in the Journal of Brand Management’s 2024 Special Issue on Brand Activism where it was recently published. The paper, “Peer effects on brand activism: evidence from brand and user chatter on Twitter.”, was co-authored by Korschun and offers valuable insights into the evolving role of brands in today’s society and how the actions of peer brands on social media influence a brand’s decision to take a stand on social issues. 

Mithila Guha presents her research at at the 46th INFORMS Society for Marketing Science (ISMS) Conference in Australia.

Mithila Guha is an assistant professor of marketing at the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business at San José State University. 

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