The New Marketing Strategy – Brand Activism

2020 has seen the rise in a new marketing tactic: Brand Activism. Meaning brands seek to stand out in a fractured marketplace, taking a public stance on social and political issues. This change in marketing tactics shows brands are becoming more comfortable alienating some consumers to address the sociopolitical issue.

However, when a brand becomes an activist in the sociopolitical sphere, their motives become scrutinized, and negative attributes can impede business returns and brand equity. The danger is with brand activism, are brands may not be “walking the talk”. Research has shown 56% of consumers indicating too many brands now use societal issues as a marketing ploy to sell more of their products and while 65% of individuals want companies and CEOs to take a stand on social issues.

Achieving and communicating the authenticity of brand activism (as defined as an alignment of a brand's explicit purpose and values with its activist marketing message and prosocial corporate practice) emerges as critically important for marketing success, while having the potential for social change arising from these strategies. Brand activism was formally defined and examined as a purpose (and values) driven strategy in which a brand adopts a nonneutral stance on institutionally contested sociopolitical issues, to create social change and marketing success. This type of marketing strategy as four defining characteristics:

- The brand is the purpose (and values) driven

- It addresses a controversial, contested, or polarizing sociopolitical issue(s)

- The issue can be progressive or conservative (issue are subjective and determined by political ideology, religion, and other ideologies/beliefs); and,

- The firm contributes toward a sociopolitical issue(s) through messaging and brand practice.

Brand activism (in its authentic form) prioritizes the delivery of social and environmental benefits beyond the immediate economic interests of the brand. While the extreme form may be viewed as a political mission of brands embedded within their purpose, usually as a by-product of their leaders. Brands may also see their v purpose as educators for a better society (e.g., shifting consumer behavior) or see themselves as significant sources of cultural power, providing them the responsibility to incite societal change.

Achieving and communicating the authenticity of brand activism is important for marketing success, with the potential for social change arising from this strategy. Research has shown that brand activism is an emergent marketing strategy. Also, the questions of how, why, and when the strategy is effective, is sparse. The risk is for this type of market strategy is that not all customers have the same values, and the brand could potentially alienate certain consumer groups more than others.

As a new type of marketing strategy, what brands need to remember is brand activism is very different from CSR. In two different ways:

1. CSR strongly emphasizes actions, and the consequences of those actions (e.g., reputation, sales), then it goes to inherit company values.

2. CSR activities are viewed as beneficial by the majority of society, while brand activism lacks this type of majority support.

There is no universally “correct” response to the sociopolitical issues involved, or in some cases, these issues may not be perceived as problems that need solving. Brand activism is an evolution of CSR.

Brand activism involves both intangible (messaging) and tangible (practice) elements to a sociopolitical cause. Making brand activism go beyond advocacy/ messaging, and involves the alignment with corporate practices that upholds the brands' purpose and values. Messages need to be backed up by tangible changes within the organization to support employees, customers, and stakeholders. For example, modification to corporate practices and organization policies, monetary donations, and partnerships aimed at facilitating social changes.

Brand activism as a strategy in which brands have a clear purpose (and value) driven communication around an activist stance on sociopolitical issues, while also engaging in prosocial corporate practice. In short, a brand needs to match is the brand's purpose and values with the activist marketing message and corporate practices., Each of these four factors (purpose, values, messaging, and practice) influences, determines and builds on one another to create authenticity within the brand activism strategy.

To protect the authenticity of their efforts, brand activists might consider what a reasonable consumer would interpret, what the expressed and implied claims are about the brand's support for a social or political cause. As the marketing strategy evolves, many may need to accept changing social norms and the expectations of brands taking a stand. When a brand does incorporate brand activism within its marketing strategy, this will set the brand apart from its competitors. As brand activism is likely to become more expected, the consumer will become to demand greater accountability and responsibility from brands.

When brands are developing this type of strategy, caution needs to be taken. This is to avoid misleading, making irrelevant claims, and avoid making board, unqualified general social benefit claims. Such as:

- Working for social good

- Socially responsible

- A socially conscious brand, or;

- We promote well-being

These such claims can be difficult for consumers to be shown as true. Therefore, the message should be developed with qualified, precise social benefits, using clear, prominent, and specific language to avoid greenwashing.

Goals, objectives, and end states for brand activism remain unclear and unchecked. Brand activism must involve firm and clear performance outcomes, specifically those in increased revenues, brand equity, and customer loyalty, all while brands shows it is aiming for social change. While the measure of brand activism success must include internal and external organizational data, further research is needed to be conducted with regards to data analysis. With easy access to social media data, online communications can be examined. This data can include brand-related hashtags and/or social media mentions, impressions, click-through rates, reach and frequency, website visits, and earned media value. All of these data points can be contributed to the measure of brand activism.

As always, ethical considerations need to be considered. Brands who get involved in sociopolitical causes, that can be sensitive in nature; required reflection on the ethicality or private industry. As it can be found, the brand may be influenced by profits and becoming involved for unclear motives.

Source: Vredenburg, J., Kapitan, S., Spry, A., Kemper, J. A (2020) ‘Brands Taking a Stand: Authentic Brand Activism or Woke Washing?’ Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 444-460