Brand Activism

Brand Activism

A 2018 Edelman study demonstrated that 59% of consumers buy into a brand as they believe in its mission and vision. Enso’s 2018 Value Index adds on that 81% customers believe that corporates will be the face of positive social and environmental change.

Traits of an Activist Brand

💡“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.” Plato’s wisdom from c. 400 BC sums the extremes of what a brand’s stance on issues can say about it. The right approach can make it more relatable & engagement-worthy, whereas ignorance lead to people ostracizing it.

⁉️CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman’s recent Twitter controversy embodies this perfectly, leading to 1200 gyms disaffiliating from their programs and Reebok cancelling its partnership with the company.

📚Kotler & Sarkar captured this in their theorization of the “Activist Brand”: a “value driven” entity whose agenda and actions embody justice and fairness for all, and a sustainable future for the planet.

Examples of Activist Brands

🔎The two drivers on which brands position themselves are marketing and corporate practices. If a brand shows dissonance in these drivers, they are either likely capitalizing on a trend or their marketing has severely missed the mark.

Traits of Brands that lack Consistency