Queer people's responses to LGBTQ+ brand activism and its effect on brand loyalty

The current marketing landscape is going through major changes with consumers increasingly expecting brands to engage in brand activism, i.e. to take a stance on socio-political issues. Many brands are happy to comply with this demand during June when the LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride Month. Shelves are lined with Pride products, brands release limited Pride editions, and social media brand logos become more colourful by adding the rainbow - a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite these activist efforts, there has been a significant increase in hate crimes and hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community, with the rights of LGBTQ+ people continuously under attack. Hence, it is more important than ever to understand how members of the LGBTQ+ community respond to brand activism, especially since it is an issue directly affecting them and their well-being. Therefore, I aim to explore how queer consumers respond to LGBTQ+ brand activism during Pride Month and how it impacts brand loyalty. For this project, I will collect data from Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr, and conduct semi-structured interviews with LGBTQ+ participants whereby I will take an intersectional approach and consider age and gender as factors possibly influencing responses, too.

This research can impact LGBTQ+ people positively by giving them a voice on a topic directly affecting them. Additionally, this study can aid practitioners in creating campaigns that genuinely benefit the LGBTQ+ community. Finally, the study responds to a newly emerging phenomenon and thus fills a gap in the literature, which fellow scholars can build on in future research.