Investigating brand-issue fit in corporate social advocacy from the perspective of expectancy violation

Purpose The alignment between a brand and a controversial issue plays a crucial role in shaping how consumers evaluate brand advocacy. However, the concept of brand-advocacy fit has not been clearly defined or consistently operationalized in empirical studies. The effect of fit on consumers’ responses to corporate social advocacy remains mixed and lacks a strong theoretical explanation. Applying expectancy violation theory, this study aims to define and examine the effect of two types of brand-advocacy fit as well as the fit between corporate social responsibility (CSR) reputation and advocacy issue in influencing consumers’ boycott intentions. Design/methodology/approach Studies 1 and 2 used 2 (functional fit vs functional unfit) × 2 (image fit vs image unfit) × 2 (participants’ preexisting attitudes toward abortion: supportive vs against) between-subject online experiments with fictitious brands. Study 3 used an online survey using a real brand (Macy’s). Moderated mediation models were applied for data analysis. Findings Both Studies 1 and 2 found that participants’ issue attitude significantly moderated the functional fit and image fit’s influence on boycott intention through expectation violation. Study 3 found expectation violation significantly mediated the influence of functional fit and image fit on boycott intention, respectively. CSR reputation was not found as a significant predictor of expectation violation or boycott intention. Originality/value This research expands the discussion of the concept of fit within the context of corporate social advocacy and offers a psychological explanation for its impact on consumers’ responses. These insights provide managerial guidance, encouraging brands to thoroughly understand both themselves and their target audience, and to communicate strategically when engaging in activism.