The Double-Edged Impact of Brand Activism on Prosocial Behavior

Abstract For-profit companies are increasingly advocating for controversial social causes (e.g., climate change, reproductive healthcare), but how this affects the general public’s support for these issues is unclear. Four experiments (n = 1,141) demonstrated that brand activism can increase or decrease monetary support for endorsed nonprofits, depending on the strength of individuals’ self-brand connection (SBC)—the extent to which a brand is integrated into the consumer’s self-concept. When SBC is high, brand activism (vs. no activism) enhances the salience of endorsed causes, resulting in increased support. Conversely, when SBC is low, brand activism (vs. no activism) reduces cause salience, resulting in decreased support. Additionally, brand activism’s effects diminish among individuals who strongly oppose the endorsed cause and the effects also weaken over time. These findings highlight the influence that for-profit companies can exert on public monetary support for sociopolitical issues and offer guidance for organizations aiming to leverage this influence effectively.