Brand Activism: From Action to Purpose

Marketing Trend Predictions for 2021

1. Brand Activism

Less of a trend and more of a social responsibility, brand activism is on the rise with brands speaking up about social & environmental issues that resonate with their consumers.

What matters most though, is that brands are authentic in their activism – that there's a fit between the issues they speak up about and the issues they actively invest in. Supportive sentiments can fall short if you’re not offering resources or action

So what domains or categories come under the umbrella of brand activism?

We identify six areas that will be familiar to all:

The Categories of Brand Activism

• Social activism includes areas such as equality – gender, LGBT, race, age, etc. It also includes societal and community issues such as education, school funding, etc.

• Legal activism deals with the laws and policies that impact companies, such as tax, workplace, and employment laws.

• Business activism is about governance – corporate organization, CEO pay, worker compensation, labor and union relations, governance, etc.

• Economic activism may include minimum wage and tax policies that impact income inequality and redistribution of wealth.

• Political activism covers lobbying, voting, voting rights, and policy (gerrymandering, campaign finance, etc).

• Environmental activism deals with conservation, environmental, land-use, air and water pollution laws and policies.

Brand activism emerges as a values-driven agenda for companies that care about the future of society and the planet’s health.