Community internal activism for CSR brand repositioning

Abstract

Purpose To investigate how brands can become “forces for good” in the society, it is critical to explore how brands’ social and environmental commitments are built from the inside of companies undergoing organizational change toward sustainability. Adopting an internal branding perspective, this study aims to examine the understudied role of employees in corporate social responsibility (CSR) brand repositioning to build a responsible brand. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an interpretive approach based on in-depth interviews with employees within companies that are implementing a CSR transformation coupled with an ongoing process of CSR brand repositioning. Findings The findings reveal community internal activism. This study identifies four types of internal activist communities that contribute through three main practices (raising awareness, galvanizing and federating) to the forging of social and environmental commitments, translating them into tangible and intangible brand elements supporting the CSR brand repositioning. Originality/value This research makes four main contributions: (1) conceptualizing internal activism for CSR brand repositioning; (2) extending the literature’s focus from individual to collective activism to shed new light on internal brand-building; (3) highlighting the critical role of employees in CSR brand repositioning; and (4) showing how internal activist communities act as cultural agents for change. Managerially, this study demonstrates how internal activist communities serve as a reservoir of resources and expertise crucial for building a responsible brand.