Left out, stay out? The impact of social exclusion on consumer engagement in brand activism

Brand activism is a social movement that requires active consumer engagement and aims to achieve specific social goals through collective power. The success of brand activism frequently depends on consumers' support and engagement. Consumers' social experiences can significantly and uniquely influence their engagement behavior, particularly regarding social exclusion, which is prevalent in daily life. However, there is a shortage of in-depth research on how social exclusion affects consumer engagement in brand activism. Drawing on impression management theory and five studies, we discovered that socially excluded (vs. socially included) consumers are inclined to avoid engaging in brand activism due to rejection concerns. Notably, brand image can produce a “backfire effect.†Specifically, a prestigious brand image can mitigate rejection concerns, thereby reversing the negative effect of social exclusion on consumer engagement in brand activism. These findings provide researchers with valuable insights into how social exclusion influences consumer engagement in brand activism from an impression management perspective, contributing to the existing literature on brand activism and social exclusion while offering valuable practical guidance for marketers.