Purpose The link between brand management and sustainable practices is gaining importance in today's managerial environment. Different companies and brands have fervent supporters and passionate detractors due to their actions, perpetuating the brand polarization phenomenon. This study examines how consumers' perceptions of social sustainability influence the emergence of brand polarization for a multinational brand in the Industry 4.0 era. Design/methodology/approach A review of key concepts was conducted, followed by a bibliometric and content analysis on sustainability and branding. A methodological approach was employed, involving the scraping of Instagram posts and comments from Rappi's official accounts across five Latin American countries. The data were analyzed exploratorily using machine learning algorithms, considering features such as length, emojis, hashtags and mentions of brand and sustainability topics. Findings The study finds that brand polarization in Industry 4.0 is primarily driven by perceived service quality, with cultural factors affecting sentiment valence. Rappi Peru receives mostly positive feedback, while other countries show negative comments. Social sustainability has a less direct impact on polarization, as consumer satisfaction often overshadows it. However, predictive algorithms suggest that mentions of social sustainability, particularly in relation to hiring practices, may predict negative brand sentiments. Originality/value The study finds that brand polarization often results from a company's ability to meet consumer needs, with social sustainability practices being less influential. Predictive algorithms indicate that mentions of social sustainability, particularly in hiring, may forecast negative sentiments. Limitations include a small data sample from Instagram®, suggesting future research should use a broader dataset and explore other social media platforms.
Escobar-Sierra et al. (Mon,) studied this question.