Pride-Driven Brand Advocacy in Sustainable Marketing: The Roles of Socially Responsible Image and Brand Authenticity

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationships of socially responsible image and perceived brand authenticity on brand advocacy within the framework of the mediating role of brand pride. In the digital age, consumers' evaluations of brands shape not only their purchase decisions but also their behaviors of supporting, recommending and defending brands in online and offline environments. In this context, the research focuses on explaining through which emotional mechanisms cognitive brand evaluations turn into behavioral outcomes. Drawing on Social Identity Theory and Cognitive Appraisal Theory, the proposed model aims to reveal how socially responsible image and perceived brand authenticity are associated with brand advocacy through brand pride. Data were collected through an online survey from 362 participants who had experience with brands from different sectors and were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling through SmartPLS 4. The findings showed that socially responsible image is related to brand advocacy both directly and indirectly through brand pride. In contrast, the direct relationship between perceived brand authenticity and brand advocacy was not significant; however, a strong indirect relationship emerged through brand pride. The mediation analysis results indicate partial mediation for socially responsible image and full mediation for brand authenticity. In addition, brand pride was identified as one of the strongest explanatory factors of brand advocacy. These findings show that not all cognitive brand evaluations are linked to behavioral outcomes through the same psychological pathways and that brand pride functions as a central emotional mechanism in sustainable brand relationships. The study contributes to the sustainable marketing literature by identifying brand pride as a self-conscious emotional mechanism that explains how two well-established cognitive brand evaluations, namely socially responsible image and brand authenticity, are associated with brand advocacy through different mediation pathways.