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KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 10, 2025

New research from a KSU Marketing Professor shows how the wording of public apologies can impact companies' profits.

When CEOs face a crisis鈥攆rom faulty products to workplace scandals鈥攖heir apologies do more than make headlines. They can influence investor confidence and even stock prices. According to new research from Associate Professor of Marketing Prachi Gala, the difference between saying 鈥淚 apologize鈥� and 鈥淲e apologize鈥� can be worth millions.

Gala and her collaborators analyzed 224 corporate apologies issued between 1996 and 2023. They found that CEOs who use 鈥淚 apologize鈥� tend to see significantly smaller stock drops and sometimes even gains compared to those who use 鈥淲e apologize.鈥� The reason? Investors perceive the use of 鈥淚鈥� as a sign of personal accountability and strong leadership, while 鈥渨e鈥� spreads responsibility and can seem evasive.

Gala鈥檚 full article, 鈥淚nvestors prefer 鈥業鈥� over 鈥榳e鈥� when CEOs apologize,鈥� is published on The Conversation and dives deeper into how words shape market reactions and public trust. .