Column 12 · Brand and Market-Based Assets · Era 7, Frontier (2020s)
Brand Activism
Formulation, content · Major · Cluster IV, Customer and Brand Assets
Description
Vredenburg et al. defined brand activism as a brand taking a public stand on a contested sociopolitical issue and distinguished authentic activism from woke washing, and Moorman examined the choices brands face in a political world.
Managerial Implications
Taking public stands on social and political issues can strengthen a brand when the stand is authentic, consistent with the brand's purpose and practices, and matters to its customers; it backfires when it is inauthentic or opportunistic. Decide in advance which issues connect to the brand's values and which do not, act before speaking, and accept that activism will alienate some customers while deepening loyalty among others.