They took sides, stood up for their supporters and let Telemarketing List them hear a strong noise to the outside world. This is brand activism. But should brands get involved with politically charged themes? And what are the ingredients for a successful transmission Telemarketing List of the message? To gain more insight into the possible effects of taking a stand, MarketResponse has conducted two studies. This blog focuses on one of these studies, into the Telemarketing List importance of authenticity in taking an activist position.
Marketing trick or sincere involvement According to Telemarketing List researchers, it is essential that brand activism emerges logically from identity and brand image. If it comes as a surprise it can be seen as a disingenuous marketing Telemarketing List ploy ( Vredenburg et al., 2020 ; Schmidt et al., 2021 ). An example is the case of Pepsi. In an effort to join the Black Lives Matter movement and appeal to a younger audience, Pepsi launched Telemarketing List a commercial starring model and influencer Kendall Jenner.
The commercial was widely criticized , was Telemarketing List quickly withdrawn, and Pepsi apologized for it. The brand has been accused of woke washing because there is no supporting evidence of genuine involvement in this theme. According to Telemarketing List researchers Vredenburg et al. (2020), authenticity is about preserving the brand essence. It must be clear that the statement stems from intrinsic motivation and genuine Telemarketing List involvement. This can only be achieved by staying consistent in your core message and actions, building credibility over time.