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Woke brand activism authenticity or the lack of it

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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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    Cited by:

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    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Pedersen, Carsten Lund, 2023. "The paradoxical marketer: Interpretations, illustrations, and implications," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 765-776.
    5. Carina Thürridl & Frauke Mattison Thompson, 2023. "Making brand activism successful: How advice-giving can boost support behavior and reap benefits for the brand," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 685-696, December.
    6. Abdul Rohmanue & Erik S. Jacobi, 2024. "The influence of marketing communications agencies on activist brands’ moral competency development and ability to engage in authentic brand activism: Wieden+Kennedy ‘Just Does It’," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(2), pages 126-139, March.
    7. Klement Podnar & Urša Golob, 2024. "Brands and activism: ecosystem and paradoxes," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(2), pages 95-107, 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. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.

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