Authenticity and Brand Activism – An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

The increasing relevance of brand activism, coupled with its controversial nature, poses challenges for brands. Whether brands should engage in activism and the significance of authentic engagement in this context are questions that need to be addressed. This study employs an experiment to demonstrate that authentic brand activism enhances attitudes towards a brand, with the perceived brand authenticity identified as a key driver. To achieve this, a definition of authentic brand activism is considered, emphasizing the interplay of purpose, values, corporate practices, and activist messaging rather than isolating actions. Furthermore, it is found that the influence of authentic brand activism on perceived brand authenticity is not affected by the moderators of involvement and skepticism. Additionally, preliminary insights into various forms of non-authentic brand activism are gained. This research contributes to the study of the effectiveness of activist engagement and fills an empirical gap regarding the authenticity of brand activism.

Keywords: attitude towards brands; brand activism; brand authenticity