Marketing in a Divisive World: The Role of Political Forces in Shaping Marketing and Consumption

Deadline for submissions 1 February 2027

Summary

This special issue of JMM calls for papers which explore how political forces enter the marketplace, how they shape consumer responses, and how marketers navigate the opportunities and hazards that follow.

Call for Papers

Guest Editors

  • Hanna Reinikainen, University of Helsinki, Finland;
  • Essi Pöyry, University of Helsinki, Finland;
  • Jason Weismueller, University of Western Australia, Australia;
  • Rory Mulcahy, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia

Aims & Scope of the Special Issue

Politics is growing more divisive and marketers are under increasing pressure to respond. Marketing Week noted this shift shortly after President Trump returned to office in January 2025 (Bender, 2025). Since then, the socio-political climate has remained highly charged, shaped by geopolitical conflict, authoritarian and populist tendencies, and deepening tensions between states, markets, citizens and households (Ipsos, 2024). For marketing scholars and practitioners alike, politics is no longer a background condition. It is an active force shaping marketplace meanings, consumer expectations, corporate communication and brand risk.

The effects of divisive politics are difficult to isolate because politics now extends well beyond formal institutions, elections and state power. It is equally embedded in lifestyles, identity claims, cultural narratives and consumption choices. The concept of lifestyle politics captures how consumers enact politically inflected ways of living in pursuit of social change (De Moor, 2017). As a result, practices once treated as neutral are increasingly interpreted as value-laden and ideological. Brands are therefore scrutinised not only for what they say, but for what they refuse to say.

A growing body of work demonstrates that politics enters marketing and consumption through multiple routes. Research has examined how brands align with sociopolitical causes (Hoffmann et al., 2020; Key et al., 2023; Vredenburg et al., 2020), how consumers respond emotionally and behaviourally to those efforts (Wannow et al., 2024; Zhou et al., 2025), and how political ideology shapes consumer evaluations including food preferences and brand attachment (Chan & Ilicic, 2019; Tiganis et al., 2023). Other studies have explored how boycotts, buycotts and political consumerism affect marketplace outcomes (Liaukonytė et al., 2023), while others have traced the rise of far-right consumer culture and resistance to liberal ideals and political correctness in marketing (Leidig, 2023; Ulver & Laurell, 2020).

Recent work highlights the growing importance of politically engaged intermediaries and digital infrastructures. Social media influencers can mobilise participation in political issues, curate hybrid political-commercial identities, and shape audience responses to contested causes (Harff & Schmuck, 2024; Reinikainen et al., 2025; Thomas & Fowler, 2023). As is increasingly well known, online environments facilitate the spread of misinformation, falsehoods and distorted political narratives which, in turn, affect information sharing, opinion formation and contribute to polarisation (Weismueller et al., 2024). Under these conditions, brands may seek silence or neutrality, but silence itself can function as a political signal, carrying its own risks and inviting backlash (Pöyry & Laaksonen, 2022; Zaman Malik et al., 2025).

Over the last decade, the Journal of Marketing Management has published work on the politics of community and market transformation (Moufahim et al., 2018), racial dynamics in markets and marketing systems (Thomas et al., 2020), social movements and consumer culture theory (Patsiaouras, 2022) and critical approaches to social marketing (Gordon et al., 2022). More recent contributions address consumer activism and alternative consumption (Casey & Tadajewski, 2023; Kozinets & Seraj-Aksit, 2024), ethical and morally reflexive influencer cultures (Aboelenien et al., 2023; Grgurić Čop et al., 2024), cancel culture and possibilities for brand forgiveness (Costa & Azevedo, 2024), the politics embedded in consumer culture theory itself (Bettany & Coffin, 2024) and brand activism under conditions of permacrisis (Anisimova et al., 2025). This Special Issue builds on those conversations while extending them to the broader question of how political forces shape marketing and consumption in an increasingly divisive world.

Important questions remain unresolved. Under what conditions does political engagement enhance rather than erode brand value? Why do some consumers reward political positioning while others respond with resistance, backlash or disengagement? How do algorithmic environments, misinformation and influencer ecologies amplify, refract or distort political signals in the marketplace? How do race, nationalism, populism, anti-DEI criticism and geopolitical conflict reshape legitimacy, inclusion and exclusion across markets?

This Special Issue seeks contributions that examine how political forces enter the marketplace, how they shape consumer responses, and how marketers navigate the opportunities and hazards that follow. We invite conceptual, theoretical, methodological and empirical work, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method and interdisciplinary research. We particularly welcome submissions that clarify when political engagement creates value, when it deepens polarisation, and when silence or neutrality becomes untenable. Submissions from a wide range of cultural and geopolitical contexts are especially encouraged. Traditional text-based manuscripts are welcome, as are alternative representational formats where appropriate and consistent with Journal of Marketing Management policy.

Potential Topics of Interest

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Political ideologies, identities and lifestyle politics: How do political forces shape consumption choices, brand perceptions, media use and information processing?
  • Explicit political stances, silence and neutrality in brand communication: When, why, and how does taking a political stance, or the refusal to engage in such, generate support, scepticism, backlash or disengagement?
  • Consumer activism, boycotts, buycotts and cancel culture: How do consumers mobilise for or against brands, and what determines escalation, forgiveness or longer-term market consequences?
  • Influencers, creators and political-commercial hybrids: How do influencers, celebrities, and other intermediaries blur the boundaries between promotion, identity politics, advocacy and civic participation?
  • Digital platforms, algorithms and misinformation: How do platform design, governance, recommendation systems and mis/disinformation shape exposure to and responses to political marketplace content?
  • Race, nationalism, populism and anti-DEI movements: How do contested political projects reshape inclusion, exclusion, legitimacy and representation in markets?
  • Ethics, responsibility and governance: What normative, regulatory and strategic questions arise when market actors seek to leverage political issues or influence public discourse?
  • Methodological and theoretical innovation: What new concepts, frameworks and methods are needed to study politics in contemporary marketing and consumption?

Submission Guidelines

Authors should submit manuscripts of between 8,000–10,000 words (excluding tables, references, captions, footnotes and endnotes). All submissions must strictly follow the guidelines for the Journal of Marketing Management. These are available at
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=rjmm20
Submissions which do not follow these guidelines will be returned to authors for correction prior to being passed to the SI Editors.

Please note the requirements to include a Summary Statement of Contribution, and to place figures and tables at their correct location within the text. Please also read the following guidelines prior to submitting your manuscript:

Manuscripts should be submitted online using the T&F Submission Portal for Journal of Marketing Management:
https://rp.tandfonline.com/submission/create?journalCode=RJMM
Authors should prepare and upload two versions of their manuscript (only use alpha-numeric characters or underscores in the filename). One should be a complete text, while in the second all document information identifying the author should be removed from the files to allow them to be sent anonymously to referees.

When uploading files authors will be able to define the non-anonymous version as “Manuscript – with author details”, and the anonymous version as “Manuscript – Anonymous”. To submit your manuscript to the Special Issue choose “Research Article” from the Manuscript Type list in the Submission Portal. On the next screen (Manuscript Details), answer ‘yes’ to the question ‘Are you submitting your paper for a specific special issue or article collection?’. A drop down menu will then appear and you should select the Special Issue Title from this list.

Informal queries regarding guest editors’ expectations or the suitability of specific research topics should be directed to the Special Issue Editors. Please send your questions to all guest editors in a single email.

Guest Editor Contact Details

Key Dates

  • The online system will be open for submissions to this issue from 5 January 2027.
  • Theclosing date for submissions is 1 February 2027.

Technical queries about submissions can be referred to the Editorial Office: rjmmeditorial@westburn.co.uk

References

Aboelenien, A., Baudet, A., & Chow, A. M. (2023). “You need to change how you consume”: Ethical influencers, their audiences and their linking strategies. Journal of Marketing Management, 39(11-12), 1043-1070. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2023.2218853

Anisimova, T., Lee, Z., & Ramos da Silva, M. A. (2025). Brand activism in the era of permacrisis: Systematic literature review and future research agenda. Journal of Marketing Management, 41(5-6), 395-429. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2025.2488800

Bender, J. (2025, February 26). How can brands navigate increasingly divisive consumer opinion? Marketing Week. https://www.marketingweek.com/brands-navigate-divisive-consumers/

Bettany, S., & Coffin, J. (2024). Light selves: Where (and what) are the politics in consumer culture theory? Journal of Marketing Management, 40(7-8), 593-607. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2024.2346011

Casey, K., & Tadajewski, M. (2023). New insights on consumer activism: Advancing a prefigurative framing of alternative consumption. Journal of Marketing Management, 39(9-10), 852-856. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2023.2244299

Chan, E. Y., & Ilicic, J. (2019). Political ideology and brand attachment. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 36(4), 630-646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2019.04.001

Costa, C., & Azevedo, A. (2024). Antecedents and consequences of the “cancel culture” firestorm journey for brands: Is there a possibility for forgiveness? Journal of Marketing Management, 40(3-4), 289-312. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2023.2266465

De Moor, J. (2017). Lifestyle politics and the concept of political participation. Acta Politica, 52(2), 179-197. https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2015.27

Gordon, R., Spotswood, F., & Dibb, S. (2022). Critical social marketing: Towards emancipation? Journal of Marketing Management, 38(11-12), 1043-1071. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2131058

Grgurić Čop, N., Culiberg, B., & First Komen, I. (2024). Exploring social media influencers’ moral dilemmas through role theory. Journal of Marketing Management, 40(1-2), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2023.2241468

Harff, D., & Schmuck, D. (2024). Is authenticity key? Mobilization by social media influencers versus celebrities and young people’s political participation. Psychology & Marketing, 41(11), 2757-2771. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.22082

Hoffmann, J., Jørgensen, K. N., Averhoff, C. V., & Olesen, S. (2020). The contingency of corporate political advocacy: Nike’s “Dream Crazy” campaign with Colin Kaepernick. Public Relations Inquiry, 9(2), 155-175. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X20920802

Ipsos. (2024). Ipsos global trends 2024. https://www.ipsos.com/en/global-trends-2024 Key, T. M., Keel, A. L., Czaplewski, A. J., & Olson, E. M. (2023). Brand activism change agents: Strategic storytelling for impact and authenticity. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 31(7), 1339-1355. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2021.1904435

Kozinets, R. V., & Seraj-Aksit, M. (2024). Everyday activism: An AI-assisted netnography of a digital consumer movement. Journal of Marketing Management, 40(3-4), 347-370. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2024.2307387

Leidig, E. (2023). The women of the far right: Social media influencers and online radicalization. Columbia University Press.

Liaukonytė, J., Tuchman, A., & Zhu, X. (2023). Frontiers: Spilling the beans on political consumerism: Do social media boycotts and buycotts translate to real sales impact? Marketing Science, 42(1), 11-25. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2022.1386

Moufahim, M., Wells, V., & Canniford, R. (2018). The consumption, politics and transformation of community. Journal of Marketing Management, 34(7-8), 557-568. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2018.1479506

Patsiaouras, G. (2022). Marketplace cultures for social change? New social movements and consumer culture theory. Journal of Marketing Management, 38(1-2), 17-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2021.1996443

Pöyry, E., & Laaksonen, S.-M. (2022). Opposing brand activism: Triggers and strategies of consumers’ anti-brand actions. European Journal of Marketing, 56(13), 261-284. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-12-2020-0901

Reinikainen, H., Pöyry, E., Pelevina, N., & Kannasto, E. (2025). The convergence of promotion and politics: How influencers curate their self-presentations through political talk. Journal of Business Research, 201, 115756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115756

Thomas, K. D., Davis, J. F., Wilson, J. A. J., & Sobande, F. (2020). Repetition or reckoning: Confronting racism and racial dynamics in 2020. Journal of Marketing Management, 36(13-14), 1153-1168. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2020.1850077

Thomas, V. L., & Fowler, K. (2023). Examining the outcomes of influencer activism. Journal of Business Research, 154, 113336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113336

Tiganis, A., Chrysochou, P., & Krystallis, A. (2023). Political ideology shapes heterogeneous preferences for food values. Food Quality and Preference, 112, 105038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105038

Ulver, S., & Laurell, C. (2020). Political ideology in consumer resistance: Analyzing far-right opposition to multicultural marketing. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 39(4), 477-493. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915620947083

Vredenburg, J., Kapitan, S., Spry, A., & Kemper, J. A. (2020). Brands taking a stand: Authentic brand activism or woke washing? Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 39(4), 444-460. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915620947359

Wannow, S., Haupt, M., & Ohlwein, M. (2024). Is brand activism an emotional affair? The role of moral emotions in consumer responses to brand activism. Journal of Brand Management, 31(2), 168-192. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-023-00326-9

Weismueller, J., Gruner, R. L., Harrigan, P., Coussement, K., & Wang, S. (2024). Information sharing and political polarisation on social media: The role of falsehood and partisanship. Information Systems Journal, 34(3), 854-893. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12453

Zaman Malik, A., Ahmad, F., & Guzmán, F. (2025). Socio-politically silent brands: A double edged sword. Journal of Business Research, 187, 115046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.115046

Zhou, X., Lou, C., & Huang, X. (2025). When social media gets political: How message-platform match affects consumer responses to brand activism advertising. Journal of Advertising, 54(3), 342-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2024.2347271

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