Love Is Not Blind: The Role of Brand Attachment in Consumer Responses to Wokewashing

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 wokewashing. Such explicit betrayal triggers moral outrage and psychological ambivalence, where consumers maintain behavioral support despite reporting negative evaluative attitudes. These insights advance a nuanced understanding of the boundaries of consumer loyalty and provide clear implications for brand activism.