The core attributes of conscientious brands: A stakeholder perspective

Abstract

Conscientious brands go beyond corporate social responsibility initiatives, which are often disconnected from brand strategy, by embedding a moral belief system that drives strategic decisions and actions, and spurs positive transformative change. Recent research has highlighted several key attributes of conscientious brands, but most studies have only been based on the views of managers. To better understand the construct from a diverse stakeholder perspective, we conducted 68 in-depth qualitative interviews with senior managers of global brands, senior managers of marketing agencies, and consumers. The findings show that conscientious brands are driven by a transformative purpose, and a belief in stakeholder fairness, temporal responsibility and organizational openness. Additionally, the actions that result from beliefs are rooted in moral integrity and measured through key performance indicators. The findings also provide valuable nuances on the aligned, complementary, and conflictual perspectives of each stakeholder group.