PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Milfeld, Tyler AU - Haley, Eric TI - Purpose Advertising And the Credibility Gap AID - 10.2501/JAR-2023-021 DP - 2023 Sep 25 TA - Journal of Advertising Research PG - 2023-021 4099 - http://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/early/2023/09/21/JAR-2023-021.short 4100 - http://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/early/2023/09/21/JAR-2023-021.full AB - One approach to purpose advertising is brand activism—taking a stand on a sociopolitical issue. This research compares divergent perspectives on whether and how brand activism influences brand attitudes and purchase intentions. Results from three studies, in which real-world brands and messages were used, identify a credibility gap between brands with a reputation for activism (established activist brands) and those without a reputation (emergent activist brands). Findings also reveal how personal issue knowledge moderates the credibility gap. Among other contributions, this research creates a new brand typology in the brand activism arena and empirically demonstrates a more favorable effect for established (versus emergent) activist brands when taking a stand.