Deconstructing "wokewashing”: the role of brand legitimacy and temporal distance in brand activism[Déconstruire le "wokewashing": le rôle de la légitimité de la marque et de la distance temporelle dans l'activisme de marque]

The current political landscape is in turmoil and brands are joining the narrative. The wave of brands displaying their stands toward sociopolitical issues is growing. To achieve their objectives, brands are turning to brand activism as a strategy. It is a signal of the brand's engagement and alignment with a chosen sociopolitical cause. Hence, they are using their sociopolitical positioning to differentiate themselves from market competitors. Consequently, brands aim at attracting consumers who are aligned with the same sociopolitical cause, brands seek to convey legitimacy alongside their activism efforts. The current research is an experimental study (N=450) of varying degrees of brand legitimacy and temporal distance. Our results highlight the pivotal role played by perceived brand legitimacy in the brand activism context. We show that high perceived brand legitimacy associated with high temporal distance has a positive effect on customers' relationship with the brand. This relationship is however altered in the context of low temporal distance associated with perceived brand opportunism.