Inclusion in action: how brand commitment impacts perception of transgender-inclusive activist ads

Abstract

This study investigates how brand commitment statements influence consumer responses to activist advertising, focusing on transgender inclusion—a highly divisive sociopolitical issue. Drawing on Source Credibility Theory and research on perceived authenticity, we examine how message concreteness (concrete vs. vague) and brand familiarity (familiar vs. unfamiliar) affect advertising outcomes. A 2 (message type) × 2 (brand familiarity) between-subjects experiment reveals that concrete brand messages enhance attitudes toward the issue highlighted in the advertisement and, for unfamiliar brands, boost perceived authenticity. Importantly, perceived authenticity mediates the relationship between message concreteness and both brand and issue attitudes but only among those exposed to unfamiliar brands. These findings highlight the persuasive role of brand-originated context statements in activist advertising and offer theoretical insight into how advertising can shape consumer perception. The study extends research on activist advertising by identifying perceived authenticity as key to effective messaging, particularly when brand familiarity is low.