The Impact of Brand Activism Components on Perceived Authenticity and Consumer Brand Response

Abstract

This research explores the emerging phenomenon of brand activism, which has attracted a lot of interest in the marketing field. As more and more people become aware of environmental and social issues, more companies are adopting strategic brand activism. The main aim of this study is to find out what kind of brand activism content appeals to consumers and how much it can help the desired brand behavior for a lasting consumer-brand relationship. To achieve this goal, an online survey was done, targeting the generation MZ, who have a high level of social involvement and action through social media and a strong interest in social and political issues. The results of the analysis are the following. First, five factors were identified as the sub-dimensions of consumer-based brand activism: action of concreteness, originality, uniqueness, continuity, and impact. Second, consumers recognize authenticity in brand activism, and differentiate it from authenticity in the brand itself. Third, action of concreteness and continuity had a significant effect on perceived authenticity of brand activism. Fourth, originality and impact had a significant effect on perceived brand authenticity. Fifth, when considering authenticity in brand activism as a mediator, there was a significant effect on consumer brand attitudes and citizen behavior. The findings of this study are distinctive in that they reveal what aspects of brand activism content consumers regard as important, which is different from previous research. Moreover, this study empirically confirms that activist content influences consumer brand citizen behavior when considering perceived authenticity in brand activism as a mediator.