Love Is Not Blind: The Role of Brand Attachment in Consumer Responses to Wokewashing (opens in new tab)

ABSTRACT This study investigates how consumer-brand relationships shape responses to wokewashing, focusing on brand attachment as a key predictor. Across two experiments, our findings provide empirical evidence that highly attached consumers engage in moral reasoning to justify their support. For symbolic wokewashing, strong brand attachment facilitates cognitive moral reasoning, preserving the relationship. However, this protective effect is significantly diminished in the face of deceptive ...