Exploring the role of issue involvement and brand attachment in shaping consumer response toward corporate social advocacy (CSA) initiatives: the case of Nike’s Colin Kaepernick campaign

Abstract

This study adopts the consumer-centric perspective, through the lens of the consumer involvement theory and stakeholder theory, to examine the role of consumer involvement in shaping individuals’ attitudinal and behavioural responses toward Nike’s 30th Anniversary ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. Specifically, a survey (N = 345) was conducted to examine how consumers’ cognitive and affective involvement regarding the issue of NFL national anthem protests, their brand attachment, and brand attitude guide their attitudes and word-of-mouth intentions in response to Nike’s corporate social advocacy practices. The findings of this study suggested that consumers’ support for a company’s CSA efforts could depend on their involvement in the social issue that a brand chose as well as their involvement in the brand. Moreover, the interaction of issue involvement and brand attachment factors can serve as a segmentation strategy to cement brand loyalty and strengthen the relationship with the existing stakeholders whose issue attitude was congruent with the corporation’s stances. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Keywords:

• Corporate social advocacy
• consumer involvement
• issue involvement
• brand attachment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jo-Yun Li

Jo-Yun Queenie Li (Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 2018) is an assistant professor in the Department of Strategic Communication at the University of Miami. Her primary research interests are public relations and health communication with a focus on the strategic planning, application, and evaluation of communication campaigns that mobilize publics and facilitate health education, promotion, and social equity.

Joon Kyoung Kim

Joon Kyoung Kim (PhD, University of South Carolina) is Assistant Professor in the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island. His research focuses on how individuals process information about corporate social responsibility and corporate social advocacy.

Khalid Alharbi

Khalid Alharbi is a doctoral candidate in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of South Carolina. His research interest lie in the area of influencer marketing and corporate social responsibility. Khalid also holds a position as a lecturer at the College of Media and Communication in Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU).