When brands get real: the role of authenticity and electronic word-of-mouth in shaping consumer response to brands taking a stand

Brand activism, defined as a brand's act of taking a public stand on sociopolitical issues, has emerged as a new marketing tactic in recent years. Many brands use social media to communicate their ideas and values with their consumers. Guided by the theories of cognitive behavioral, congruity, attribution, and social identity, this study provides an integrative framework that incorporates two brand factors (brand-sociopolitical cause fit and self-serving motive) and two social media factors (attitude and trust) to explain the process of how brand activism influences consumers' responses toward brands. Results show that brand-sociopolitical cause fit, self-serving motive, attitude toward brand activism in social media, and trust in social media are all antecedents that positively relate to the authenticity of brand activism in social media. Furthermore, brand activism authenticity is positively associated with electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention, which consequently enhances brand image, purchase intent, and brand loyalty. Implications and future directions of research are discussed.