A Tale of Two “Ideologies”: Differences in Consumer Response to Brand Activism

Political ideology has been shown to influence consumer behavior across various domains such as recycling intentions, message appeals, brand attachment, and willingness to pay. In the marketplace, brand activism is becoming more common, with brands taking sides on a controversial sociopolitical issue. In a series of three studies, we examine whether consumers’ brand attitudes and willingness to pay for the brand is influenced by brand activism and whether this effect is moderated by consumers’ political ideology. Furthermore, we examine whether the issue type (pro-liberal vs. pro-conservative) and type of activism (authentic, absent, slacktivism) interact with political ideology to drive distinct consumer brand response. Importantly, we establish both affective as well as cognitive routes as potential drivers of these effects. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are also discussed.