Can Brand Activism Help? The Effects of Fit and Consumer Trait in Building Brand Trust
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7158952 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Cen Wang (0000-0002-3151-1466, School of Journalism and Communication Shandong University Jinan Shandong China, corresponding author), Wenbo Zhao (0000-0001-7727-151X, School of Journalism Fudan University Shanghai China) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0966-0879 • E-ISSN: 1468-5973 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1468-5973.70084 |
| OpenAlex | W4415731508 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 63 |
This study examines how brand activism builds brand trust through two online experiments. Study 1 employed a 2 (crisis: present vs. absent) × 2 (communication strategy: advocacy vs. avoidance) between‐subjects design ( N = 129). Study 2 used a 2 (crisis: present vs. absent) × 2 (crisis‐activism fit: high vs. low) between‐subjects design ( N = 219), testing ethnocentrism as a moderator. Across both experiments, brand trust, attitude toward brand, and word‐of‐mouth (WOM) were measured. Study 1 revealed that in noncrisis contexts, advocacy‐based activism significantly improved brand trust, attitude toward brand, and WOM compared to avoidance strategies. However, during a crisis, activism showed no significant effect on these outcomes. Study 2 indicated that for patriotism‐related crises, high‐fit activism enhanced trust, attitude, and WOM among consumers high in ethnocentrism. No such effect occurred for low‐ethnocentrism consumers. These findings advance theory by highlighting the context‐dependent efficacy of brand activism, the moderating role of consumer ethnocentrism, and the novel concept of crisis‐activism fit in patriotism‐related crises. Managers should avoid activism as a crisis recovery tool unless aligned with consumer values and the crisis context
Brand awareness · Brand Loyalty · Consumer ethnocentrism · Ethnocentrism · Social activism · Trait · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Customer Service Quality and Loyalty · Public Relations and Crisis Communication
Development of a Scale to Measure Consumer Skepticism Toward Advertising
Some benefits of dichotomization in psychiatric and criminological research
Consumer Ethnocentrism
Brands Taking a Stand
Consumer–Company Identification
Negative Consequences of Dichotomizing Continuous Predictor Variables
Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis
Corporate Hypocrisy
Measuring Attitude toward the Brand and Purchase Intentions
Muting or Meddling? Advocacy as a Relational Communication Strategy Affecting Organization–Public Relationships and Stakeholder Response
Hypocrites! Social Media Reactions and Stakeholder Backlash to Conflicting CSR Information
When Brands (Don’t) Take My Stance
Transcendent Brand Activism Advertising
Social Identity Theory
E‐WOM Scale
Brand activism
Strategic CSR Communication
Empathy and ethics in brand activism
Instrumental use erodes sacred values
The Effect of Conflict Goals on Avoidance Strategies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |