Brand Activism and Employees' Responses
(A2026-133776)

AUTHORS

Selei Meiners, University of Bremen; Rico Piehler, Macquarie University; Kristina Klein, University of Bremen/markstones Institue of Marketing, Branding & Technology

ABSTRACT

Companies engage in brand activism by taking public stands on (controversial) sociopolitical issues. While research so far mainly examines consumer reactions, little is known about em-ployees’ responses, despite their unique ability to assess authenticity of such activism. This paper examines how brand activism relates to employee responses, identifying underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. We use structural equation modelling for pre-study data of 248 German employees. Results show that brand activism positively relates to em-ployee behavioral intentions, which is mediated by commitment and identification, and iden-tify several relevant moderators. These insights inform the final model, which we will test with additional data (n = 362). The preliminary findings already highlight brand activism as a lever to enhance internal engagement, not just external brand outcomes.