Where does brand activism authenticity stand in a divisive marketplace? New challenges and future research directions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Brands are increasingly motivated to engage in sociopolitical activism due to the heightened stakeholder expectations and the growing ideological divide among the public. However, more brands face backlash triggered by their sociopolitical involvement, with stakeholders questioning whether their engagement is genuine or merely performative. Therefore, brand activism authenticity has become one of the most important factors when evaluating a brand’s sociopolitical engagement. This article aims to build upon existing literature on brand activism, identify the challenges brands encounter in fostering authentic activism, and provide an agenda for future research from a multidimensional perspective. Our research thus contributes to relevant literature and helps scholars and practitioners better understand the difficulties as well as opportunities in brand activism authenticity.