A Study on the Differences and Interrelationships of Brand Activism Characteristics, Brand Attitude, and Brand Image According to the Strategic Context of Companies

In this study, we differentiate corporate brand activism from a brand communication perspective, analyzing the characteristics of brand activism and its effects on brand attitude and brand image. To achieve this, we produced brand activism videos tailored to different brand contexts and conducted surveys among the general public who viewed these videos. The key findings are as follows: First, we classified brand contexts into Activist Brands (AB) and Brand Activism of Brands (BAB) based on their innate characteristics and voluntary participation in social issues, respectively. The analysis revealed significant differences in the characteristics of brand activism between these contexts. Specifically, differences were noted in consistency, relevance, involvement, impact, and uniqueness, with Activist Brand Patagonia scoring higher in all characteristics except consistency. Second, it was found that brand attitude and brand image showed significant differences based on the characteristics of brand activism, with Activist Brands displaying higher average values. Third, the analysis of the influence of brand activism on brand attitude revealed that relevance, involvement, uniqueness, impact, and uniqueness significantly affected brand attitude. Finally, the relationship between brand activism characteristics and brand image indicated that consistency, involvement, and uniqueness had a significant impact on brand image. These findings are expected to serve as foundational data for future research on brand activism, given the increasing interest in this area among researchers today.