How Does Corporate Sociopolitical Activism (CSA) Affect Consumers' Purchase Intention? A Self-congruity Perspective

An increasing number of brands are publicly speaking up about critical issues such as immigration, gun control, LGBTQ rights, and abortion rights, as they understand silence is seen as negligence or condoning unjust sociopolitical dynamics. The present study develops and tests an entirely novel conceptual model to address the relationship between mis/aligned CSA and purchase intention through consumer-brand identification and self-enhancement by drawing on the theoretical perspective of self-congruity theory. Results advance current knowledge by revealing that consumers' alignment with the brand's CSA increased consumer-brand identification exclusively when the consumers perceived the brand's involvement in CSA as directed toward the betterment of the public rather than stemming from self-serving motives. Thus, it is imperative for companies and managers to carefully speak up about contentious sociopolitical issues to prevent any potential decrement in consumer purchasing behavior.