DIGITAL COMMUNICATION AND REPUTATIONAL DISPUTE IN BRAZILIAN AGRIBUSINESS: TRANSPARENCY, TRACEABILITY, AND STORYTELLING WITH YOUNG URBAN AUDIENCES

Abstract

This article examines the reputational dispute surrounding Brazilian agribusiness among urban youth, focusing on the interplay between transparency, traceability, and digital storytelling. Based on a qualitative approach and a comparative analysis of public cases (2023–2025), the study draws on Social Media Engagement Theory and the concept of corporate reputation to analyze communication strategies within the sector. The findings suggest that reputational effectiveness does not stem from isolated elements, but from the integration of verifiable evidence, technological mediation, and narrative construction. The article proposes the concept of evidence-based narrative as an analytical framework to understand communicational legitimacy in digital environments marked by distrust. It contributes to the field by articulating cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of engagement within a model applied to Brazilian agribusiness.