Brand Activism, Consumer Identification, and Loyalty in the Cosmetics Market; A Theoretical Perspective

Ankitha P R; Preethi Sheshadri

Brand Activism, Consumer Identification, and Loyalty in the Cosmetics Market; A Theoretical Perspective

Author(s)	Ms. Ankitha P R, Dr. Preethi Sheshadri
Country	India
Abstract	As brands have increasingly adopted the concept of brand activism, a strategy that involves brands publicly standing up for or against a cause that is controversial, the cosmetics and personal care sector is a space where brands are increasingly involved in social, political, and environmental issues, including campaigns for body positivity, gender inclusion, environmental sustainability, and cruelty-free testing. The present article provides a theoretical analysis of the role of brand activism on consumer-brand identification and brand loyalty on cosmetics market. The article adopts a social identity theory perspective, consumer-brand identification framework and authenticity literature and integrates these theories to create a conceptual model which posits that consumer-brand value congruence and consumer-brand identification mediate the relationship between brand activism and brand loyalty, while perceived authenticity, cause controversy, and political ideology moderate the relationship. This paper reviews recent empirical evidence indicating that consumers' responses to authentic, value-congruent activism are more positive, whereas those to perceived opportunism (or ‘woke-washing’) are more negative. The Case examples of cosmetics companies like The Body Shop, Dove and L'Oréal Paris reveal the opportunities for loyalizing customers and also the risks to brands for getting caught up in the positioning act of ‘activists'. The article ends by arguing that brand activism is a tool for strategy that has a double edge but works more on the basis of the authenticity and consistency of its implementation than on the cause itself.
Keywords	Brand activism, Consumer-brand identification, Brand loyalty, Cosmetics market, Brand authenticity, Woke-washing
Field	Business Administration
Published In	Volume 17, Issue 4, October-December 2026
Published On	2026-10-15

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Brand Activism, Consumer Identification, and Loyalty in the Cosmetics Market; A Theoretical Perspective

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