Current Issue Summary
March 2024 (Vol. 64, Issue 1)
Purpose Advertising and the Credibility Gap: How Consumers Respond to Established versus Emergent Brand Activist Messaging
Does brand activism—taking a stand on a social or political issue—influence attitudes and purchase intentions, and if so, how? In their research, Tyler Milfeld (Villanova University) and Eric Haley (University of Tennessee) identified a credibility gap between brands that have an established reputation as activists, such as Nike and Ben & Jerry’s, and those that do not. Generally, established activist brands have more to gain than their emergent activist peers when taking a stand, but they, too, can face backlash in certain conditions.
This study is believed to be the first to formalize and empirically test brand activism stages, and it creates a new brand typology in the activism arena. Milfeld and Haley identified two distinct brand stages—established activist and emergent activist brands. They then tested consumer responses using real-world brands, Nike and Ben & Jerry’s, against emergent activist brands in the same category. The resulting evidence shows that brands with an activist reputation generate more favorable attitudes toward the brand and purchase intentions than brands without an activist reputation for the same issue.
Among the takeaways:
- Brands’ perceived reputation for activism (e.g., Nike, Ben & Jerry’s, and Patagonia) translates to higher levels of credibility when taking a stand on a low-consensus message. The resulting credibility gap between established and emergent activist brands may offer established brands a competitive edge in the marketplace.
- But, established activist brands are not immune to backlash. A high-consensus message generates greater perceived credibility and advertising outcomes than a low-consensus message—regardless of the source. Thus, a reputation for activism does not shield established activist brands from net-negative attitudinal effects.
- Consumers with high (versus low) issue knowledge punish emergent activist brands and reward established ones. Emergent activist brands should be aware of potential backlash from individuals who are knowledgeable about the advertised issue.
- Emergent activist brands that aren’t careful in their approach may undermine support for the very issue they’re promoting.