A management perspective on brand activism

Brand Activism has generated interest from companies and their stakeholders worldwide, and brands position themselves for a variety of causes. This research outlines the management perspective of Brand Activism. Its main objective is to discover and analyze the motivations for brand managers to involve their brands in Activism by examining and interpreting the decision-making process of company leaders through ten in-depth interviews with brand managers from the footwear industry. Our results show that managers are genuinely concerned about being part of a solution, and so are consumers and everyone working within these organizations. One of the most relevant findings is that people are the main driver for Brand Activism. Founders of activist companies created them because they want to bring a greater purpose to their business that fits with their values; employees are increasingly looking for impactful companies to work for; consumers are hoping to ally with brands so that together they can make a difference in the world. The results also illustrate that brand leaders are committed to contributing to a better world, as long as the brands’ positions are aligned with their values, their causes and their message.