Social media has played a vital role in the backlash against radio presenter Alan Jones, after he told a Sydney University Liberal Club function that John Gillard had "died of shame" because of Julia Gillard's political "lies".
Although he has apologised for the comments, numerous advertisers have pulled support for his program.
"It's a very smart move for the sponsors who've pulled out because they've taken advantage of something that helps them express their brand proposition," consumer psychologist Adam Ferrier told SBS.
"If you're a brand all around family values, it's very hard to convince people about that unless you're given the opportunity to prove it."
Online campaigns condemning Jones' actions have also been gathering momentum.
The site is also monitoring whether sponsors who promised to withdraw support have followed suit.
"Through social media, (advertisers) have a 24/7 open direct hour line of communication," Ferrier said.
"The advertisers would be able to ascertain very quickly that their consumer base wasn't happy with what (Jones) was saying, and therefore they didn't like what he was saying."
Change.org has listed more than 30 companies - including McDonalds, Honda, Virgin and Foxtel - who have withdrawn ads.
But despite the backlash, Adam Ferrier said the long-term impact on both Jones and his sponsors should be minimal.
"His latest comments were Alan Jones being Alan Jones," he said. "I don't think his audience will particularly care about his comments.
"Brands have been built over many many years through many consumer touch points. But the actual impact on a person's true brand perception whether they listened to Alan Jones' program or not is very very small."
Those who have withdrawn support for Jones according to Change.org are:
Slater & Gordon Lawyers
McDonalds
7-Eleven
Honda
St George
Freedom Furniture
Dilmah Tea
ING Direct
Lite n Easy
Mercedez Benz
Challenger
Bing Lee
Coles
Hyundai
Honda
Virgin
Telstra
Geek2U
Momentum Energy
Grace Removals
NRMA Insurance
Ford
Turner & Freeman Lawyers
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
John Oxley Motors
Jetset Travel
Mazda
Commonwealth Bank
Women in Focus
Australian International Motor Show
Foxtel
Cruise Scene
Harvey Norman
Woolworths
