Consumers are increasingly loyal to brands that take a stand, as long as it falls in line with their own. How are people influenced by their beliefs when choosing where to spend money?
More and more people are becoming "belief-driven buyers," according to a recent report, who "will choose, switch, avoid or boycott a brand based on where it stands on the political or social issues they care about."
Brands are responding to the growing number of belief-driven buyers. Nike, Gillette and Dawn are just a few examples of brands appealing to consumer values in their ads.
The topic of conscious consumerism has been at the forefront of conversation lately in San Antonio, in response to controversy over City Council's vote to drop Chick-Fil-A from an airport concessions contract.
District 1 representative Roberto Trevino and other members voiced concerns about the fast food company's financial support for organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights. It quickly became the narrative that city leaders had rejected Chick-Fil-A solely for moral reasons — a story that made national headlines and caused many people to evaluate their position on supporting the establishment.
What is the potential risk versus reward of a brand taking a stand, whether through advertising, donations or even the personal opinions of its CEO?
Do you support certain brands for moral or ethical reasons? Are you more loyal to brands that align with an issue, ideology or practice you support? Do you avoid brands that are out of step with your beliefs?
Guests:
- Diana Pearl, staff writer for Adweek covering brand marketing
- Julie Irwin, professor in the Business, Government and Society and Marketing departments at the University of Texas at Austin
- Rachel Kelley, co-founder of the Ethical Network of San Antonio
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet at @TPRSource.
This interview aired on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.
