Marketing professor co-authors journal article about “The Power of Politics in Branding” amid nation’s increasing political polarization

Fitzpatrick, Edward

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Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger2-22-2017RWU Professor's Study Finds More Risk thanReward in Brand ActivismEdward FitzpatrickRoger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Week at Roger at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in FeaturedNews Story by an authorized administrator of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@rwu.edu.Recommended CitationFitzpatrick, Edward, "RWU Professor's Study Finds More Risk than Reward in Brand Activism" (2017). Featured News Story. 338.https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_news/33811/16/2018 RWU Professor's Study Finds More Risk than Reward in Brand Activism | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/rwu-professors-study-finds-more-risk-reward-brand-activism 1/3 News ArchiveRWU Professor's Study Finds More Risk thanReward in Brand ActivismMarketing professor co-authors journal article about “The Power of Politics inBranding” amid nation’s increasing political polarizationSuper Bowl ads like 84 Lumber's controversial commercial above,depicting an immigrant and her daughter’s journey on foot acrossthe United States border, elicited a variety of reactions from viewersacross America. Although the 84 Lumber commercial wasn’t used intheir research, the responses from consumers to this type of brandactivism was investigated by RWU Professor Geraldo Matos and co-authors in a recently published study.February 22, 2017 Edward FitzpatrickBRISTOL, R.I.  – In preparing for the Super Bowl, companies such as Airbnb and Audi, Anheuser-Busch and 84 Lumber decided to run ads that tackled societal and political issues such as equal payfor women and a mammoth border wall.Perhaps those decisions are unsurprising at a time when political passions are running high, peopleare marching in protests and many corporations are concluding it’s time to take a stand. But asidefrom whether executives think such ads are the right call to make (regardless of the consequences),the question remains: is brand activism a win or a loss for a company’s bottom line?A newly published study in the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice  nds that linking political orsocial positions with brands o ers no clear bene t, even when viewers agree with a stance, but itdoes pose the potential for signi cant damage to the brand’s interests, when consumers do not11/16/2018 RWU Professor's Study Finds More Risk than Reward in Brand Activism | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/rwu-professors-study-finds-more-risk-reward-brand-activism 2/3agree with that position.“This suggests managers should tread carefully when linking branches with political positions,” thestudy states. “Our results suggest there is limited upside potential of this approach and a moresigni cant downside risk.”The study, “The Power of Politics in Branding,” was conducted by Geraldo Matos, an assistantprofessor of marketing at Roger Williams University’s Mario J. Gabelli School of Business; GemaVinuales, assistant professor of marketing at Towson University’s College of Business andEconomics; and Daniel A. Sheinin, professor of marketing at the University of Rhode Island’sCollege of Business Administration.Matos said some links between brands and social causes carry little risk. For example, no one willobject if a brand is linked with the pink ribbons representing breast cancer research, but thepotential downside increases as issues become more controversial, he said. The study examinedthe impact of a brand stating its support or opposition to three di erent issues: LGBT marriagerights, the A ordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) and gun control, and how such a statement interactswith the individual’s political or social orientation.For example, the gun control study examined whether people would change the way they feelabout a fast food brand, or their intention to eat there, based on a  ctitious stance on gun control.The study found that when people agreed with the gun control stance taken by the brand, theyweren’t more likely to say that they would eat there. But, importantly, if they disagreed with thestance, they said that they would be less likely to eat there, and felt less connected to the brand.“Maybe people don’t want politics with their cereal or their co ee,” Matos said.Historically, corporations have o en stayed away from politically charged themes. “As MichaelJordan is reported to have famously rationalized, Republicans and Democrats alike buy sneakers,”the study said.But now, amid the nation’s deepening political divides, corporations are more aggressively andpublicly linking their brands to political positions, the study said. “Recently, Chevrolet, Guinnessand Honey Maid were linked with marriage equality, while Barilla, Chick-Fil-A and The SalvationArmy were linked with traditional marriage.”Of course, Starbucks owner Howard Schultz might not care if his plan to hire 10,000 refugeesworldwide costs him some co ee sales because he thinks it’s the right thing to do, Matos said. Andcertain political messages could play quite well in certain parts of the country but not others, hesaid.Despite the rise in politically oriented activity on the part of brands, surprisingly little research hasexamined the impact of linking brands with such positions, so this study attempted to gauge theoverall impact such ads have on brand loyalty and purchasing decisions, Matos said.11/16/2018 RWU Professor's Study Finds More Risk than Reward in Brand Activism | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/rwu-professors-study-finds-more-risk-reward-brand-activism 3/3“That is the world we live in today: Brands are supporting one cause or another,” Matos said.“Everything is divided. Are we at the point now where we are going to have Republican brands andDemocratic brands?”ACADEMICS MARIO J. GABELLI SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

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RWU Professor\u27s Study Finds More Risk than Reward in Brand Activism

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