When is political advocacy effective? Understanding the goals and actors of political advocacy

Abstract Political advocacy is increasingly common. Companies routinely voice positions on political issues, consumers mobilize around issues they care about, and campaigns spend billions of dollars each election cycle. In this review, we define the construct of political advocacy, distinguish it from related constructs, and review the fast‐growing interdisciplinary literature on the topic. We organize our review around a central question: when is political advocacy effective? We posit that the answer depends on two critical factors: the goal of political advocacy and the actor behind it. Drawing on decades of research across marketing, psychology, political science, management, and economics, we identify four goals that frequently underlie political advocacy: capturing attention, changing attitudes, inspiring action, and cultivating affiliation. For each goal, we review relevant findings and organize them by actor type (political campaign, company, and consumer). We conclude by discussing open questions and promising future directions for research on political advocacy.