Brand activism

: why is it time for brands to act?

Abstract

Brand Activism has generated interest from companies and their stakeholders around the world and more and more companies are positioning themselves for a variety of social, political, economic and/or environmental causes with the aim to improve the world. This research outlines the management perspective of Brand Activism and its main objective is to discover and analyze the main motivations for managers and marketers to involve their brands in activism by examining and interpreting the decision-making process of company leaders through ten in-depth interviews. The study leads to the conclusion that not only are managers genuinely concerned about being part of a problem solution, but so are consumers and everyone working within organisations. One of the most relevant findings is that people are the main driver of Brand Activism - as well as they can be the may obstacle - as they bring their purpose, mission, and values to their companies. Founders of activist companies create 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; and consumers are hoping to ally with brands so that together they can make a difference in the world. The results also illustrate that, notwithstanding the risks that activism has for brand reputation and how it can be perceived as fake to consumers, brand leaders are committed to contribute to a better world, as long as the brands’ positions are aligned with their values, their causes and their message.

Date of Award	5 Jul 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Silva (Supervisor)