Linguistic and Sociocultural Aspects of Conflicts in Digital Fashion Communication

Fashion is a very important market segment, and its digital department is ever growing, especially with the limitations put up by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, there have been numerous cases of conflicts between fashion brands and the public in different regions across the globe. They often result in public outcry and profit losses, but sometimes do not have any consequences for brands. This study aims to discover how these conflicts arise, develop and resolve from the perspectives of culture and language. Additionally, it aims to provide some guidelines following which brands can minimize their risks of attracting negative reactions. To achieve this goal, the study draws on the theory behind branding, linguistics, marketing, culturology, conflictology and PR whilst applying it to some of the best-known scenarios of backlash provoked by a fashion brand’s advertisement campaigns.