Essays on Brand Activism

Abstract

The dissertation includes 3 essays on the topic of brand activism. The first essay delineates brand activism from related constructs (such as, e.g., corporate social responsibility), summarizes existing empirical literature on brand activism, and proposes future research avenues in the context of brand activism. The second essay investigates the relation of brand activism to brand reputation on social media as well as to brand financial performance (i.e., stock price). The third essay considers consumers' reactions to different activist topics addressed by brands. Also, the third essay focuses authenticity as well as its antecedents and outcomes in the context of brand activism.