Exploring consumer support for brand activism: a four-segment typology

Brand activism, i.e., taking a public stance towards sociopolitical issues, is a controversial strategic marketing tool for firms. Prior work shows that at best, it has no significant positive impact on consumer support and outcomes for brands. In this research, we propose and explore how advice-giving impacts consumer brand activism support and brand liking. Across four studies we find that advice-giving leads to more successful brand activism by increasing brand activism support behavior, and also has benefits for the brand. We show that advice-giving drives higher levels of normative influence which leads to higher brand activism support behavior. We also study a boundary condition and show that even when brands do not follow consumers’ advice, advice-giving has no negative behavioral and attitudinal consequences for the brand. Overall, we contribute to literature on brand activism and advice-giving and help marketers in strategically and effectively designing their brand activism activities.

The increasing popularity of brand activism has brought social issues to the fore of brand actions and communications. Showing up during a social problem, standing up for it and becoming an ally can create new opportunities for brands to strengthen their relevance or lead to consumer backlash. The LGBT movements are one of the possible choices for marketers and managers among other activities such as Black Lives Matter, Me Too and Fridays for Future. However, the brand activism construct within the context of LGBT conversation is still in its infancy. To address this topic, we explore how brands are committed to the LGBT conversation by building inclusive marketing efforts, raising awareness and standing up for LGBT rights. Based on the review of literature related to brand activism, corporate social responsibility and woke activism, we explore the many unanswered questions regarding brand-related interactions with LGBT causes. Relevant insights into the factors to consider when designing successful LGBT brand activism campaigns are also discussed. Therefore, concluding thoughts, implications and potential areas for future research are identified.

As brand activism increasingly becomes a prominent feature of corporate communication on social media platforms (e.g., Twitter), it has garnered significant attention, yet its impact on consumer response remains complex and often contradictory. This study aimed to assess how brand activism affects consumers with an emphasis on specific brand features (i.e., company size, activism history, and product type). We address this goal by utilizing signaling theory and data from over 2,000 tweets from six globally recognized brands. Together with corresponding consumer response data, we conducted sentiment analysis using a fine-tuned BERT model. Our findings reveal that although brand activism tweets elicit higher engagement, they often generate negative sentiment, with effects varying by brand features. This study suggests brand managers should tailor their activism strategies to align with long-term objectives and brand attributes, while future research should develop a more comprehensive view of brand activism by expanding the sample size and consumer response metrics, as well as investigating diverse social media platforms and consumer segment heterogeneity.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how confrontational (i.e. provocative or challenging messages) and nonconfrontational (i.e. inclusive, low-provocation messages) brand activism message framing influence perceived authenticity, brand attitudes, belief congruence and purchase intentions, focusing on addressing physical disability as a sociopolitical issue. Design/methodology/approach The study is conducted online with 917 German participants. They are randomly assigned to confrontational or nonconfrontational brand activism framing using fictitious press releases. Data are analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to evaluate and compare the effects of the two message framings. Findings Authenticity positively affects brand attitude and purchase intention in both nonconfrontational and confrontational scenarios. Belief congruence only influences brand attitude in the nonconfrontational framing. The confrontational framing decreases perceptions of authenticity and belief congruence but increases purchase intention compared to the nonconfrontational approach. Research limitations/implications By jointly modeling authenticity and belief congruence, this study helps to demarcate the boundaries of message framing in brand activism and expands brand activism research beyond frequently researched hot-button issues. It enriches prior work by demonstrating that the specific framing of a brand-activist message can have a decisive impact on brand outcomes. Practical implications Organizations should prioritize authenticity in brand activism to enhance brand attitudes, strategically use nonconfrontational framing for attitude improvement, and consider confrontational messaging when aiming to boost purchase intentions, especially for less polarizing sociopolitical issues. Originality/value This study addresses two key gaps in brand activism literature by quantitatively comparing confrontational and nonconfrontational framing and by focusing on physical disability, an underexplored sociopolitical issue.

This dissertation examines the intricate landscape of brand-consumer interactions on social media in the context of sociopolitical activism. The three essays of the dissertation explore different aspects of this field, such as gaps in existing literature, the determinants of brand activism strategies on social media, and the impact of brand-consumer dialogues on sociopolitical issues. The innovative approach taken in this dissertation involves the use of machine learning and text analysis methods, including topic modeling, semantic textual similarity, and sentiment analysis, to analyze millions of tweets related to sociopolitical issues. The first chapter of the dissertation is a comprehensive examination of existing literature on consumer and brand activism. Using a framework-based analysis method on 52 peer-reviewed academic articles published in top-tier journals between 2000 and 2023, the study employs the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Method (TCCM) literature review approach to evaluate current activism literature. However, the chapter also highlights the limitations of the framework in fully capturing the complex dynamics of activism. To address this gap, the chapter introduces a novel four-step literature review methodology that incorporates an "ACTION" framework, providing a more nuanced understanding of consumer and brand activism. The study identifies significant gaps in current research, emphasizing the need for further investigation into the impact of consumer activism on targeted brands, a comprehensive understanding of the drivers and mechanisms of brand activism strategies, and the role of brand-consumer dialogues in the mechanism of activism. The second chapter of the dissertation aims to fill the research gaps identified in the first chapter by investigating the drivers and mechanisms behind brand activism strategies. Specifically, the research focuses on how the largest brands respond to sociopolitical issues, such as Black Lives Matter, COVID-19 policies, or LGBTQIA issues, when their peers and consumers tweet about them. The study reveals that brands evaluate the potential risks of taking a stand or remaining silent by monitoring the social media activities of both peer brands and consumers. Contrary to conventional wisdom, brands are equally attentive to the activism of peers outside their industry as they are to direct competitors inside their industry. In the third essay of this dissertation, the focus is on exploring the influence of consumer activism on brands through conversations on controversial sociopolitical issues, such as the 2022 Russian invasion and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. This area of research was identified as a gap in the initial literature review. The study investigates the effects of consumer "callouts" and "shoutouts" on brands and reveals that brand activism is connected to both types of interactions. Furthermore, the study provides a thorough understanding of how consumer activism on sociopolitical issues may affect performance of targeted brands through brand-consumer dialogues. The findings indicate that shoutouts have a positive correlation with the brand's stock market performance, while callouts have a negative impact on both user engagement and daily stock returns. In summary, the three chapters of the dissertation build upon each other to provide a comprehensive understanding of brand and consumer activism. The first chapter provides a comprehensive review of the literature and identifies key research gaps, proposing a novel framework to connect both consumer and brand activism through two-way brand-consumer dialogues. The second chapter addresses a crucial knowledge gap in understanding the antecedents of brand activism decisions on social media, offering insights into how brands can effectively leverage data from peer brands' recent activist statements to determine their own activism strategies. Finally, the third chapter introduces a novel approach to quantify social media consumer activism by utilizing the auditory associations of "shoutouts" and "callouts" to categorize the tones of consumer social media activism. This chapter's findings contribute to the understanding of the impact of brand and consumer sociopolitical activism, highlighting the importance of multi-actor dialogues in comprehending the complex relationship between brands and consumers. Overall, this dissertation provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in understanding the importance of brand-consumer sociopolitical dialogues on social media and navigating the complexities of social media activism. Brand managers can use the findings to effectively engage with consumers on social media and make informed decisions about their activism strategies, while academic researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the drivers and impact of brand-consumer interactions on social media on divisive sociopolitical issues. Across the three chapters, the dissertation highlights the importance of understanding the complex dynamics of social media activism and the potential for brands to make a positive impact on society while building relationships with their customers.

Although brand activism has attracted growing attention in the marketing literature, studies that specifically examine the psychological mechanisms through which brand activism influences purchase intention in emerging markets remain limited. This study aimed to analyze the effect of brand activism on purchase intention with brand trust as a mediating variable in the context of the Indonesian consumer market. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving 385 millennial and Generation Z respondents in Indonesia selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS 24.0. The results show that brand activism has a significant positive effect on purchase intention (β = 0.412, p < 0.001) and brand trust (β = 0.536, p < 0.001). Brand trust also significantly affects purchase intention (β = 0.539, p < 0.001) and partially mediates the relationship between brand activism and purchase intention (indirect effect = 0.289, p < 0.001), with a total effect of 0.701. These findings contribute to the development of consumer–brand relationship theory by identifying trust as a critical mediating mechanism and by extending understanding of the effectiveness of brand activism in emerging markets with distinctive socio-cultural characteristics. The study concludes that authentic and consistent brand activism is crucial for building consumer trust and encouraging purchase intention, and recommends that brand managers design activism strategies that prioritize authenticity, long-term commitment, and tangible social impact. The implications of this research include a theoretical contribution to the literature on conscious consumerism and practical implications for companies targeting consumers who are concerned with social issues, while also opening opportunities for further research on the differential effects of various types of activism and cultural boundary conditions.

This study investigates the influence of brand activism on consumer loyalty and perceived social change, with a particular emphasis on the Indonesian consumer context. In an era increasingly shaped by value-oriented consumption, brand activism has evolved as a strategic corporate response that extends beyond conventional corporate social responsibility (CSR). Unlike traditional CSR, which predominantly emphasizes philanthropy and environmental sustainability, brand activism entails a company’s public engagement with sociopolitical issues, thereby fostering stronger ideological alignment with consumers. Grounded in Social Identity Theory and Stakeholder Theory, this research examines the extent to which perceived authenticity and consistency of brand activism initiatives affect both consumer behavior and broader societal perceptions. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected via an online survey involving 300 participants with prior exposure to brand activism campaigns. The proposed model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicate that brand activism has a significant positive effect on consumer loyalty (? = 0.58, p < .001) and enhances perceptions of social change (? = 0.42, p < .001). Moreover, consumer loyalty was found to mediate the relationship between brand activism and perceived social change (? = 0.35, p < .001), suggesting that loyal consumers contribute to the amplification of activism-driven societal outcomes. These findings have practical implications for marketers and brand strategists, highlighting the importance of sustained, genuine engagement with social causes. The study advances marketing scholarship by elucidating the connection between corporate performance and social transformation. Future research should consider longitudinal designs, objective social impact assessments, and cross-cultural comparative analyses to deepen insights into the evolving role of brand activism.

The heterogeneity of cognitive profiles among psychiatric patients has been reported to carry significant clinical information. However, how to best characterize such cognitive heterogeneity is still a matter of debate. Despite being well suited for clinical data, cluster analysis techniques, like the Two-Step and the Latent Class, received little to no attention in the literature. The present study aimed to test the validity of the cluster solutions obtained with Two-Step and Latent Class cluster analysis on the cognitive profile of a cross-diagnostic sample of 387 psychiatric inpatients. Two-Step and Latent Class cluster analysis produced similar and reliable solutions. The overall results reported that it is possible to group all psychiatric inpatients into Low and High Cognitive Profiles, with a higher degree of cognitive heterogeneity in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients than in depressive disorders and personality disorder patients.

Brand activism describes that brands actively join in sociopolitical conversations by taking stances on pressing issues, such as civil rights and geopolitical conflicts. Yet, it remains largely underexplored how the communicative aspects of brand activism influence consumer reactions. Drawing upon the frameworks of congruence theory and the Source–Message–Channel–Receiver (SMCR) model, the thesis seeks to investigate how the congruence among various communication factors influences the persuasion outcomes of brand activism and elucidate the psychological mechanisms underlying the effects. The thesis begins by introducing the phenomenon of brand activism and presenting the theoretical frameworks and research objectives in Chapter One. Chapter Two focuses on the visual-verbal message compatibility and examines the interplay between image color and message framing in the effectiveness of brand activism advertising. The findings from two experiments indicated that brand activism ads featuring BW images (vs. color images), when paired with promotion-framed (vs. prevention-framed) messages, resulted in more positive ad attitudes and greater intentions to purchase the brand. The level of inspiration that consumers perceived upon viewing the ads was identified as an underlying psychological mechanism. Chapter Three shifts the focus to message-platform congruence and introduces a distinct characteristic of social media, namely, the level of politicization. A scale was first developed to measure the politicization level of social media. Besides, an experimental study tested the message–platform congruence effect in terms of politicization in the context of brand activism. The findings showed that on a less politicized platform, delivering a less politicized (vs. more politicized) activism message could lessen perceived intrusiveness, thereby improving attitudes towards the ads and intentions to purchase from the brand. However, on a highly politicized platform, the type of message did not significantly alter consumer responses. A follow-up experiment further pinpointed that the level of issue support acted as a boundary condition of the congruence effect, with a more pronounced effect observed when there was a low (vs. high) level of issue support. Chapter Four explores the dynamics of the emotional landscape in brand activism communication and examines the role congruity between brand gender (masculinity vs. femininity) and emotion expression (anger vs. sadness). The findings from two experiments revealed that anger expression (sadness expression) was perceived to be more congruent with the stereotypical roles of masculine brands (feminine brands). Moreover, stereotype-congruent expressions improved conservatives’ perceived appropriateness and message attitudes more profoundly, while non-stereotypical expressions were more effective at enhancing liberals’ advocacy intentions. Chapter Five summarizes the theoretical and practical implications derived from the findings. This thesis contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the communicative dimensions of brand activism. In practical terms, this thesis offers insights that can guide more effective approaches in strategic communication contexts.

This paper represents a pioneering exploration of how brand activism influences consumer responses to performance and value-related failures. Specifically, across two experiments, the research explores how brand activism influences consumer resistance to negative information, purchase intent, and willingness to pay more, in response to product, service, and value-related failures. Study 1 (N = 237) reveals that consumers who are more involved in activism and are exposed to a product failure from activist brands exhibit higher resistance to negative information compared to those who encounter product failures from non-activist brands. This suggests that activist branding may protect companies by cultivating a resilient, loyal consumer base in such adverse situations. Study 2 (N = 261) extends these findings by examining whether value-related (vs service-related) failures impact the buffering effect generated by a brand’s activist stance. Results indicate that activist brands particularly benefit from a protective buffer in the context of service failure scenarios. However, this buffer does not extend to value-related failures, leading to harsher consumer judgments and intentions. The research significantly contributes to brand activism literature by uniquely integrating the themes of brand activism and brand transgressions, exploring how brand activism affects consumer responses to both performance and value-related failures.

Purpose In brand activism, a brand promotes contested sociopolitical causes to highlight its values. Brand activism also alienates those consumers who disagree with the cause, who might, consequently, target the brand with critical, negative or even aggressive actions. This paper aims to study the triggers and strategies of consumers’ antibrand actions given in response to brand activism. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative content analysis and multiple correspondence analysis were used to study consumer responses directed at a chocolate brand’s campaign that advocated civilized online conversions and opposed hate speech, a politically heated topic. In total, 1,615 messages were collected from social media platforms. Findings Field infringement, political accusations and questioned impact of the campaign triggered consumers to turn against the campaign. Strategies to undermine it included boycotting, discrediting the brand and trapping. Trapping – creatively using technological affordances to create harm to the brand – was typically triggered by political associations. Research limitations/implications Findings relate to the critical responses regarding one campaign only. Practical implications By understanding the political discussion around the chosen cause, including the opponents’ typical triggers and strategies, brand activism can more credibly advocate for contested social causes and communicate brand values. Originality/value Political antibrand actions are distinct from the previously identified functional and ethical antibrand actions, and they are noninstrumental by nature. Practices that are native to social media are central to political antibrand actions, and social media platforms contribute to how such disappointment is articulated and acted upon.

This paper determines the statistical relationship of brand activism on Facebook to the respective brand image, purchase intent, likelihood to shift, degree of interest, and recommendation toward C2 Green Tea and Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton. Brand activism is a way for companies to express their opinions and values on social, environmental, or political issues that matter to them and their customers. The gathering of respondents was done in a purposive way, who were from different age groups, socio-economic classes, and regions. The researcher conducted a Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Analysis to measure the statistical association of brand activism on Facebook with various dependent variables. This is a statistical technique that assesses the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two continuous variables. The analysis showed that only brand image and interest level were the independent variables that had a strong positive correlation with the importance of brand activism on Facebook (dependent variable). No significant differences were observed between the responses for C2 Green Tea and Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton. This paper advances the general knowledge of brand activism in the Philippine context. It provides practical implications for marketers and advertisers who want to utilize social media platforms to engage with their consumers on relevant social, environmental, or political issues. The researcher proposes that future studies examine how brand activism varies among various products and brands—such as food, beverages, clothing, electronics, etc.—and how these variations influence consumer perception and behavior. The researcher also recommends applying other statistical methods to cover more aspects, generate new insights, and explore other perspectives regarding brand activism.

This study investigates the influence of sustainability labels, minimalist design, and brand activism on consumers’ perception of premium products. Drawing from signaling theory and consumer psychology, the research examines how these factors serve as signals that shape premium product evaluation. Using survey data analyzed through multiple regression, the findings reveal that all three variables significantly and positively impact premium product perception, with sustainability labels exerting the strongest effect. Minimalist design and brand activism also contribute meaningfully by enhancing perceived elegance and aligning brand values with consumer ethics. The results underscore the importance of integrating ethical certifications, refined aesthetics, and authentic activism in premium branding strategies to meet the evolving demands of conscious consumers. Implications for marketers and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This study examines the influence of green innovation, customer collaboration, and brand activism on the competitive advantage of organic food micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Jakarta. With increasing consumer demand for environmentally friendly and ethically produced goods, MSMEs face the challenge of aligning business practices with sustainability and social values. A quantitative research design was applied using survey data from 150 MSME owners and managers. Respondents completed a structured questionnaire measured on a 1–5 Likert scale, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. The results show that green innovation, customer collaboration, and brand activism each have a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage. Green innovation emerged as the strongest predictor, emphasizing the importance of eco-friendly practices in differentiating products and improving operational efficiency. Customer collaboration also contributed positively, highlighting the role of co-creation and consumer trust in sustaining market relevance. Similarly, brand activism significantly enhanced competitive advantage, reflecting that MSMEs advocating for sustainability and social causes build stronger loyalty and brand differentiation. The findings contribute to the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship and provide practical implications for MSMEs in developing competitive strategies that integrate innovation, customer engagement, and socially responsible branding.

PurposeThrough activism, brands participate in the sociopolitical controversies that shape society today. Based on social identity theory, this study aims to examine the moderating effects of consumer–brand identification (CBI) and political ideology in explaining consumer responses to brand activism. Furthermore, the role of perceived marginalization that can arise in the case of consumer–brand disagreement is explored.Design/methodology/approachThe hypothesized effects were tested in three experiments. Study 1 (n = 262) and Study 2 (n = 322) used a moderation analysis, which was supplemented by a mixed design analysis with repeated measures in Study 1. In Study 3 (n = 383), the mediating effect of perceived marginalization by the brand was tested using a moderated mediation model.FindingsThe results show that strong CBI as well as a conservative ideology buffer the negative effects of consumer–brand disagreement on brand attitude and word-of-mouth intentions. In the case of agreement with a brand’s stance, no direct or interactive effects of brand activism on consumer responses occur. Perceived marginalization by a brand mediates the effects of brand activism.Originality/valueThis study extends the “love is blind” versus “love becomes hate” debate to the realm of brand activism and finds evidence for the former effect. It also contributes to the research on political consumption by highlighting the role of political ideology as an important boundary condition for brand activism. Perceived marginalization is identified as a relevant risk for activist brands.