How BLM Support Affects Consumer Perception of Brands

In recent years, many brands have voiced their support for Black Lives Matter (BLM), a social movement that advocates for racial justice and equality. However, how does this stance affect consumer perception of brands and their products? A new study in Marketing Science has found that BLM support can have negative impacts on consumer responses on social media .

The study, conducted by researchers from Temple University’s Fox School of Business, analyzed 503 BLM posts over 430 brands from June 1, 2019, to Oct. 31, 2020. They also used Blackout Tuesday, a large-scale BLM support event on Instagram, as a natural experiment to compare consumer reactions on Instagram and Twitter .

The results showed that BLM support led to a decline in consumer social media activity, such as followers and likes, and an increase in negative commentary through social media posts. The negative effects were stronger when more brands posted in support of BLM, while also posting self-promotional content. The researchers called this the “bandwagon effect” .

The study also found that the negative effects of BLM support were moderated by several factors, such as:

• Historical prosocial posting: Brands that had a history of posting about social causes suffered less from the negative effects.
• Socially-oriented missions: Brands that had a clear social mission or purpose also experienced less negative effects.
• Customers’ political affiliation: Brands with mostly Republican customers faced more negative effects than brands with mostly Democratic customers.
• Slacktivism: Brands that showed BLM support in words but without financial donations mitigated the negative effects for Republican customers but amplified them for Democratic customers .

The researchers suggested that brands should be careful when taking a stance on social media about racial justice movements, as they may face backlash from consumers who perceive them as insincere, opportunistic or hypocritical. They also advised brands to align their words with actions, and to consider their target audience and their values .

BLM support is a controversial and complex issue that can affect consumer perception of brands in different ways. Brands should be aware of the potential risks and benefits of expressing their views on social media, and tailor their strategies accordingly.

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