Impact of inclusive marketing communication on brand love and brand attitude

Abstract

Purpose There is an emerging paradigm with reference to marketing communication, i.e. inclusive marketing communication (IMC). This calls for brands to be sincere with their customers and give due recognition and representation to underrepresented groups, communities and individuals. In this constantly evolving and globalized world, consumers have become more sensitive towards authentic portrayals of inclusivity and diversity by brands while choosing one brand over another. Design/methodology/approach A mixed method approach was used whereas in the first study, a quantitative method was used. Standardized questionnaire was used for collecting data through a time-lagged method. While the second study adopted the qualitative method. Semi-structured interviews were performed which lasted for 30–45 min for most of the participants. Findings It was found that IMC has a positive and noticeable effect on brand attitude (BA) and brand love (BL) when mediated by social identity (SI). While stigmatization was found to positively and significantly moderate the relationship between IMC and SI. Moreover, it was also found from both the studies that if a brand fails to strengthen the SI of an individual it doesn’t affect the BA as well as BL of customers. Originality/value Very few studies have incorporated a quantitative method of study while studying IMC. Furthermore, a collective study on different aspects of inclusivity like ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, physical attractiveness, etc., has not been explored yet. Scattered studies on aspects like skin tone, body size, religion, etc., have been explored individually in prior studies.

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