There is no such thing as bad publicity. This age-old proverb that has long championed the notion that any form of media attention, regardless of its nature, can be advantageous for a brand is at the heart of a new study by Trent School of Business professor, Dr. Saeid Kermani, albeit with a series of caveats.

Getting political: The value-protective effects of expressed outgroup outrage on self-brand connection by the Trent marketing professor highlights that even the adverse outcomes of a company openly expressing its political or social justice values might surprisingly yield benefits for their brand. 
 
Brands taking a stand
“We are living in an era where companies are increasingly expected to engage in brand activism,” says Professor Kermani. “The study examined the impact of brand activism when a company’s stance on a social issue draws outrage from those opposed to the brand’s stance.”  

Brand activism refers to a company aligning their brand with a social, environmental, economic, or political issue. For companies that choose to engage in brand activism, the risk of eliciting online outrage from opposing viewpoints is a legitimate concern.  

However, Prof. Kermani’s study, which was recently published in the Journal of Consumer of Psychology, shows that public outrage is not necessarily a bad thing. 

Outrageous benefits
The study proved to have interesting results pertaining to the dynamics of online outrage and its impact on brand identification.  

"What we discovered was, when a brand's social value campaign attracts outrage from opposing consumer groups, those who identify strongly with the promoted values perceive the outrage as a threat to their own values,” says Prof. Kermani. “In response, these consumers strengthen their connections with the attacked brand and increase purchase intentions.” 

However, Prof. Kermani points out that, if a brand is disingenuous, consumers will see right through the dishonesty and will make their opinions known through social media. 
 
Bringing Research into the Classroom
As an assistant professor in Trent’s School of Business, Prof. Kermani introduces students to consumer behaviour concepts and marketing topics such as brand activism, and so his study becomes a teaching tool.  

By using real-world examples of brands that have developed social value campaigns which attracted public outrage, the research findings help Prof. Kermani advance the topic of brand activism as well as the knowledge of Trent Business students.  
 
Positive change
There’s optimism within Prof. Kermani’s research which he hopes might encourage marketers to boldly identify and embrace social values that resonate deeply with their audience. Despite the possibility of facing backlash from opposing consumer groups, the study illuminates the potential for brands to become catalysts for positive societal change through authentic and purpose-driven actions. 

Learn more about the Trent School of Business.