Online brand activism in global controversies: emotion expression, gender stereotyping, and ideological responses

Abstract

Brand activism describes that brands actively join in sociopolitical conversations by taking stances on pressing issues, such as civil rights and geopolitical conflicts. While brands have been responding emotionally to various causes, little is known about how the gender stereotyping of emotions (e.g. ‘men don’t cry’, ‘women don’t fume’) affects the effectiveness of brand activism. This research examines the interplay between brand gender traits (masculinity vs. femininity) and emotions in activism (anger vs. sadness) and the moderating influence of political ideology on audience responses. We conducted two experiments among U.S. participants, using contemporary global issues as contexts (i.e. the Russia-Ukraine war and Fukushima wastewater release). Our findings revealed that anger expression (vs. sadness expression) was perceived as more congruent with the stereotypical roles of masculine brands (vs. feminine brands). Moreover, stereotype-congruent expressions improved conservatives’ perceived appropriateness and message attitude more profoundly, while non-stereotypical expressions were more effective at enhancing liberals’ advocacy intentions.

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