When Corporate Social Advocacy Meets Controversial Celebrity: The Role of Consumer–Brand Congruence and Consumer-Celebrity Congruence

Khalid Alharbi,Jackson Carter,Christopher Noland,Joon Kyoung Kim

doi:10.3390/su14031811

Abstract

This study investigates the role of consumer–brand congruence and consumer–celebrity congruence in the formation of consumer attitudes toward brands and their impact on behavioral intentions within the context of corporate social advocacy (CSA) involving controversial celebrities. Using a U.S. sample drawn from a Qualtrics panel (N = 372), the results of mediation analyses indicate that attitude toward a brand positively mediates the effects of consumer–brand congruence on consumers’ behavioral intentions, including purchase intention, brand preference, and boycott recommendation. The consumer–celebrity congruence moderated the indirect effect of consumer–brand congruence on brand preference and boycott recommendations, but not purchase intention. The findings of this study contribute to the CSA literature and practices by highlighting the role of consumers’ congruence with a controversial celebrity in determining consumers’ behavioral responses to CSA. When brands practice CSA, consumer–brand congruence rather than consumer–celebrity congruence could play a more important role in shaping consumer behaviors.

Highlights

In his view of the modern business environment, the CEO of Edelman, a global communication firm, argues that brands are expected to work outside of their standard commercial interests to take on a more active advocacy role [1]
Hypothesis 1 (H1) examined the relationship between consumer–brand congruence and attitude toward the brand
After controlling for the covariates, consumer–brand congruence was shown to be positively associated with attitude toward the brand (β = 0.50, p < 0.001), offering support for H1

Summary

Introduction

In his view of the modern business environment, the CEO of Edelman, a global communication firm, argues that brands are expected to work outside of their standard commercial interests to take on a more active advocacy role [1]. Barometer Special Report: Brands and Racial Justice in the United States shows how impactful decisions made in corner office are on the behaviors of their stakeholders. The report states an organization’s likelihood of gaining (vs losing) trust is four times greater when it engages in anti-racial justice advocacy [3]. As the public’s demand for brand activism has increased, a growing number of companies have started to take public stances on socio-political issues, which scholars define as corporate social advocacy (CSA) [4]. Millennials and members of Gen Z, expect corporations to take a position on social or political issues and to communicate that position clearly [5]

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Conclusion