Exploring consumer-perceived antecedents of reactive vs proactive brand activism in banking

Purpose This study aims to examine how banks’ brand activism strategies, reactive versus proactive, influence consumers’ attribution of the underlying antecedents behind such activism, and, in turn, affect consumer–brand relationships. Design/methodology/approach Using a scenario-based survey design with two conditions (reactive vs proactive), 418 valid responses were collected from banking consumers. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized relationships. Findings Consumers attributed pragmatic legitimacy, symbolic concession and social currency as antecedents of reactive activism, which increased brand hate and reduced brand evangelism. In contrast, proactive activism was linked to conscientiousness and brand bravery, mitigating brand hate but showing no significant effect on evangelism. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to empirically theorize and test consumer-perceived antecedents of brand activism in the banking sector, demonstrating how distinct perceptual pathways shape whether activism is interpreted as proactive or reactive and how these interpretations differentially influence consumer–brand relationships. The findings offer actionable insights for managing consumer perceptions of brand activism.