Active Activism: Leveraging Social Responsibility in Athletic Brands

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Bethel, Cleo Juliet

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University of Oregon

Abstract

Engagement with social issues has become an increasingly large part of everyday life and it seems to be rising alongside the age of social media. Brands are progressively using cause marketing techniques to promote themselves as a brand while simultaneously speaking out about important social issues. However, this does not come without skepticism from some parties that either believe brands have no reason to share their opinions about certain issues or question their intentions. The sports industry has been an auspicious contender in the rise of brand activism, providing a unique vantage point to research what it is about these campaigns that have been impactful. This thesis addresses the specific conditions that allow the sports industry to be successful in their campaigns of social activism: congruency, audience demographic, and platform. After conducting brand audits and researching case studies, the data collected was then applied to a local brand in Eugene, Oregon to determine if they too could be successful with a social activism campaign. Brands today can leverage the expectation consumers have to be social activists and use it to distinguish themselves from their competitors in the market.

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61 pages

Keywords

Journalism: Public Relations, Brand Activism, Athletic Brands, Nike, Social Responsibility, Social Engagement

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