Under a Political Cloud: How Politicized Brands Shape Gift Appreciation

Abstract

Brands have increasingly taken a stance on controversial sociopolitical issues. However, our knowledge of how politicized brands impact consumers in the context of interpersonal relationships is limited. The present studies investigate how consumers respond to politicized brands that are given as gifts. To understand this phenomenon, we frame our work within a gifting space composed of the giver, receiver, and branded gift, grounded within a broader environmental context. Three studies test a causal model derived from this framework. Study 1 reveals that gift recipients show less appreciation for politically incongruent gifts that threaten their identity, an effect magnified among consumers whose political identity is central to their self-concept. Study 2 finds that when givers’ persuasion attempts are not inferred, the negative impact of political identity incongruence on gift appreciation is reduced. Finally, study 3 demonstrates that incorporating congruent symbols into identity-incongruent brands enhances gift appreciation.