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Woke brand activism authenticity or the lack of it

Author

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  • Mirzaei, Abas
  • Wilkie, Dean C.
  • Siuki, Helen

Abstract

The increasing popularity of woke brand activism, tied to movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too, is creating new opportunities for brands to signal their responsibility and concerns toward social issues. However, such woke activism can lead to consumer backlash, hence carrying significant risks. Brands struggle to convince the public that their virtue-signaling efforts are authentic. Thus, this study explores the dimensions of woke branding authenticity, adopting an interpretive inductive research approach, and conducting content analysis. This study identifies six dimensions for woke activism authenticity: social context independency, inclusion, sacrifice, practice, fit, and motivation. By exploring different drivers of woke activism authenticity, this study proposes as a conceptual model, the woke activism authenticity framework, highlighting the interactions among the woke authenticity dimensions. The findings make conceptual contributions and offer several managerial recommendations toward woke authenticity and neutralizing the perception of inauthenticity.

Suggested Citation

  • Mirzaei, Abas & Wilkie, Dean C. & Siuki, Helen, 2022. "Woke brand activism authenticity or the lack of it," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1-12.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:139:y:2022:i:c:p:1-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.09.044
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    6. Klement Podnar & Urša Golob, 2024. "Brands and activism: ecosystem and paradoxes," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(2), pages 95-107, March.
    7. Zoe Lee & Amanda Spry & Yuksel Ekinci & Jessica Vredenburg, 2024. "From warmth to warrior: impacts of non-profit brand activism on brand bravery, brand hypocrisy and brand equity," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(2), pages 193-211, March.
    8. Lee, Ruby P. & Wei, Susan, 2023. "Do employee orientation and societal orientation matter in the customer orientation—Performance link?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    9. Aya Aboelenien & Chau Minh Nguyen, 2024. "From Dr. Seuss to Barbie’s cancellation: brand’s institutional work in response to changed market logics," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(2), pages 108-125, March.
    10. Federico Mangiò & Giuseppe Pedeliento & Daniela Andreini & Lia Zarantonello, 2024. "How persuasive is woke brand communication on social media? Evidence from a consumer engagement analysis on Facebook," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(4), pages 345-381, July.
    11. Ahmad, Fayez & Guzmán, Francisco & Kidwell, Blair, 2022. "Effective messaging strategies to increase brand love for sociopolitical activist brands," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 609-622.
    12. Kumar, Vivek & Srivastava, Arpita, 2022. "Trends in the thematic landscape of corporate social responsibility research: A structural topic modeling approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 26-37.
    13. Hartwell, Christopher A. & Devinney, Timothy M., 2024. "The demands of populism on business and the creation of “corporate political obligations”," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2).
    14. Maria Giovanna Confetto & Maria Palazzo & Maria Antonella Ferri & Mara Normando, 2023. "Brand Activism for Sustainable Development Goals: A Comparative Analysis in the Beauty and Personal Care Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-15, April.
    15. Pedro Chapaval Pimentel & Mariana Bassi-Suter & Simone Regina Didonet, 2024. "Brand activism as a marketing strategy: an integrative framework and research agenda," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(2), pages 212-234, March.
    16. Ahmad, Fayez & Guzmán, Francisco & Al-Emran, Md, 2024. "Brand activism and the consequence of woke washing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).

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