Signaling green! firm ESG signals in an interconnected environment that promote brand valuation

•In today’s interconnected environment, brand value creation has likely evolved.•Automotive brands signal ESG information about products, people, and performance.•Automotive brands signal directly with advertising, R&D, and linguistic styles.•Automotive brands signal interactively with social media and ESG rankings.•There is evidence of brand value co-creation in automotive brand signaling.