Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Estefania Cardenal and I am a first year Presidential Scholar here at Florida State University. I am from Miami, Florida and am currently a finance major.

Stand Up Branding: Does brand activism impact consumer attitudes and behaviors for every type of brand?

Abstract

This study seeks to understand brand activism advertising, consumer perceptions, and behaviors, specifically focusing on differentiating effects on hedonic and utilitarian brands. Brand activism can be defined as businesses projecting their beliefs on certain social, environmental, economic, or political issues through media, advertisements, donations, initiatives, etc. Examples of brand activism in the 21st century include stands against climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice. It has become increasingly prevalent that existing literature contains numerous gaps both in examining this behavior, both from the perspective of brands and from the consumer point of view. This study adds to a more complex knowledge of how brand activism influences customer reactions and provides information that is useful for utilitarian and hedonistic marketing strategies. The approach offers a strong basis for deriving significant inferences regarding the diverse impacts of brand activism on distinct categories of brands. The next steps for this project include data collection, data analysis, conference submission, and journal submission.

Keywords: Brand Activism, Utilitarian, Hedonic, Consumer