Är varumärken de nya politikerna? : En kvalitativ studie om olika generationers upplevelse av brand activism i förpackningsdesign

This study investigates how different generations interpret the marketing strategy of brand activism through packaging design. This marketing strategy is a relatively new one, and refers to corporations that engage and take stances in current political causes. As it is a fairly unexplored area of research, the purpose of this study is to look further into the attitudes towards brand activism among different generations, and explore if it has an impact on their purchase intentions. Four different generations have been selected for this research project, namely; Baby Boomers, generation X, Y and Z. A qualitative method in terms of semi-structured interviews has been chosen, and four respondents from each generation have participated. The sixteen respondents have been selected through a goal-oriented convenience sample, and the interviews have been conducted both physically and digitally. In the interviews, respondents have analyzed the packages of Ben & Jerry's, Tony's Chocolonely and Oatly, three brands who are all using the marketing strategy of brand activism, and are mediating this through their packaging designs. This study accounts for brand activism and its development, and presents both successful and disadvantageous examples of businesses using brand activism. Furthermore the study explains the important role of the package as a bearer of a brand, and how it can affect the purchase behaviour of consumers. To get a deeper understanding about why the aspect of generations is examined in this study, previous research is presented to highlight its importance of showing various purchase behaviour. The research area discusses how corporations should take part or not in social responsibility to create a greater comprehension about brand activism. A discussion about whether brand activism is perceived as authentic has also been taken into consideration. To investigate these questions and to explore the research area, Generation Cohort Theory, The ABC-model, Brand Authenticity and Kotler's communication process, have been chosen as the theoretical framework. These theories and models have been put into a modification of Kotler's communication process, to bring distinctness to the studies subject area. The results show that every generation has thoughts and attitudes towards the area, and there is a twofold attitude towards brand activism. Some conclusions based on the collected empirical data can be drawn. None of the respondents, regardless of generation, have paid attention to the activistic message in the packaging design. Additionally every generation points out that brand activism does not affect their purchase intention in greater occurrence, but it might have an influence in a buying situation between two equivalent products. The empirical data also shows that the younger generations have a great knowledge about the brands and brand activism, and consume the products more frequently than the older generations. Finally, the study has shown that authenticity plays a significant role in this regard