Public sound ‘bites’

Viral. Views. Vocal. Visual. Posts. Shares. Trolls. Fakes. Trends. Hits. The world is reeling. Scrolling, clicking, posting is the new norm. Public loves to talk, especially behind the social media walls. The ease of looking, observing, finding, stating has brought out the most closet of introverts to join the comments’ army. The power of a viral hashtag is huge. The strength of a viral video is phenomenal.

A physical rally of a million march is a rare phenomenon. It takes a lot of time and organization. It cannot last for too long. What about millions joining voice on the social media on a topic and repeating the same opinion for days, for months? With increasing presence on different social media platforms these communities are opinionated and empowered. Most multinationals recognize their presence.

Most companies have strong digital and PR teams. But the biggest corporate and country names are still not in terms with how powerful this collective digital voice is. The public sound is now going beyond companies to countries and biting at realities they cannot afford to ignore.

The recent Prada Kolhapuri uproar is an example of how things have changed. Prada got into trouble when recently its models walked the runway in Milan wearing a sandal that looked like the Kolhapuri chappal. The Indian social media accused Prada of stealing the design. The controversy became so loud and vociferous that Prada issued a statement, saying it acknowledged the sandals’ origins and that it was open to a “dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans”. This is not the first of its kind.

H&M came out with their summer clothes. Some designs came under heavy criticism after many said that their clothes seemed to be heavily inspired by South Asian garments. Even if South Asia is not their big market, brands have to listen and respond. That makes their task very difficult. Many innovative designs are inspired by some culture or the other. To be able to anticipate reactions, especially if it is not from their main markets, is complex. If this is how the smallest overlook can matter, imagine how the collective voice of this medium on some global issues can have an impact.

1. Gen Z rebellion — Atrocities in Palestine have been decades old. The US and Israel have been able to control the media and create the perception that any protest against Israel is an act of anti-Semitism. The old formula of CNN, BBC, Hollywood visuals that show what they want to show worked for a long time. Nobody could match the sound, reach, and the cost. Then came the social media, Facebook, and then the TikTok.

That increased the power of the viewer to counter perceptions. Content can be created, countered and shared in a short time without much cost. Generation Z is a hot topic these days: their inability to get along, their instability of focus, etc. They may be very awkward in face-to-face interactions but in social media content creation, they are masters. The American universities have witnessed an amazing evidence of student rebellion.

In the last year or so, the American universities are almost at war with their own students. 130 universities have continuously protested against Israel in support of Gaza. From Harvard to Columbia, these protests have been severely dealt with. 2000 students have been arrested. Many suspended. Here is where the Gen Z rebellion turns to resilience. The student protests in universities were clamped down.

Gen Z superior IT skills made sure that it was top news. Their videography captured the horror dramatically. To top it all, they used the commencement ceremonies to protest again. From wearing the Palestinian flag and scarf, to add unscripted speech parts, they have baffled the university authorities and inspired millions.

At the George Washington University commencement, graduating senior Cecilia Culver condemned the ongoing war in Gaza and reiterated students’ calls for the Washington, D.C., private university to divest from Israel. She did not mince words. “The horrors unfolding across the world may be easy to ignore for those lacking a moral backbone,” she told the audience to a raucous applause. “I am ashamed to know my tuition is being used to fund genocide.” This spirit of defiance is echoing everywhere and biting at the heart and soul of each conscience.

2. The brands are also bitten — Most brands look for local adaptation. When in Rome, be like Romans is an old brand customization mantra. But now the brand has to listen to France, Bangladesh, Fiji Islands, etc., even if it is not in these markets. The brand’s integrity is not being measured just by the quality of its ingredients but by the sourcing of its ingredients; by the sponsors behind it; and by the geopolitical disposition it carries.

Stance over Palestine rarely mattered to the Big Macs and Mega Starbucks. It has to. The brand now has to sustain its value on the basis of the values it supports, or the public will create such an uproar on the social media that the share values and stock values will collapse. McDonald’s drew the ire of Israel’s critics, especially in the Middle East, when its Israel branch gave thousands of free meals to Israeli troops when the country launched its bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza, which has now killed more than 60,000 people.

In some countries, the reaction has caused bankruptcy of other brands. Turkish operator of KFC and Pizza Hut franchises has filed for bankruptcy, resulting in the immediate closure of all 537 restaurants across Turkey and leaving 7,000 employees jobless. Starbucks’ sales have also faced the fury of the public outrage on deleting a pro-Gaza tweet by an employee. In older times, a few headlines would cause a stir for a while and then back to business as usual. Not any longer.

From universities to companies and now countries, the collective chant ‘Stop the genocide in Gaza’ is now overpowering the powerful. France, finally, has also recognized Palestine. Amsterdam has declared Israel a national security threat. Slovenia has banned arms supply to Israel. Of the 27 countries in the European Union, 12 have recognized Palestine, including Spain, Norway Ireland.

This is a radical shift of policy. This is in response to the radical shift in public opinion. In the UK and the US, public opinions show how their pro-Israeli policy is unpopular. Unfortunately, they are waiting for this “fad” to fade. Fortunately, it is unlikely to fade.

A video gives way to a reel, the reel to the insta, the insta to the meme, the meme to the TikTok and the virus becomes epidemic. The public opinion has found a voice that reverberates, repeats, replicates and resounds till it bites the non-listeners.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025