From safe havens to city shapers: purpose activation through community co-creation in queer micro-brands

Purpose Research on brand purpose has largely focused on major corporations, with limited understanding of how small, resource-constrained brands enact purpose in identity-sensitive markets. This study aims to develop a purpose activation framework for micro-brands, explaining how inclusive purpose is constructed through situated practices, co-created with queer communities and translated into community-level outcomes within nightlife ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach A sequential multi-method design was used. Study 1 used in-depth interviews (n = 42) and field observation to identify how queer micro-brands embed inclusive purpose in practices of safety, self-expression, emotional refuge and belonging. Study 2 used a 2 × 2 experiment (n = 412) to test how purpose cues and identity alignment shape perceived authenticity and emotional resonance. Study 3 surveyed visitors (n = 612) and used partial least squares structural equation modelling to examine a pathway in which inclusive purpose enhances authenticity, which strengthens community attachment and loyalty. Findings Across studies, inclusive purpose consistently increases perceived authenticity. Authenticity enhances emotional resonance and strengthens community attachment, which drives loyalty and advocacy. Regulatory climate emerges as a key boundary condition, weakening the effect of purpose on authenticity. Originality/value This research positions micro-brands as relational and cultural actors within nightlife and tourism ecosystems. It extends brand purpose theory by conceptualising purpose as a practice-based construct and by identifying a mechanism through which authenticity and community attachment activate purpose in identity-sensitive contexts.