I’m honored to serve as a discussant at this year’s AEJMC Conference in San Francisco, where I’ll be contributing to a thought-provoking session titled “Consumer Reactions to Brand Activism.” This session brings together emerging scholarship at the intersection of branding, activism, and consumer psychology—areas that are increasingly vital in understanding the evolving landscape of media and marketing communication.

As a discussant, my role is to critically engage with each paper, offering constructive feedback, synthesizing common themes, and posing questions that advance dialogue and deepen our collective understanding. The goal is not just to respond, but to elevate the conversation and challenge assumptions, highlight connections, and foster meaningful exchange.

I genuinely enjoy serving as a discussant because it allows me to engage deeply with emerging research and contribute to the scholarly conversation in a meaningful way. Unlike a moderator, whose role is to facilitate the flow of the session, the discussant offers critical reflection—connecting ideas across papers, raising thought-provoking questions, and offering constructive feedback that can help strengthen the work. It’s an opportunity to both support and challenge fellow scholars, and to help create a more dynamic, engaged, and intellectually rigorous session. I find it especially rewarding to highlight connections that might not be immediately visible and to amplify the potential impact of the research being presented.

The panel features a diverse lineup of timely and innovative research:

• Dongjae (Jay) Lim and Samaneh Shirani Lapari (University of Alabama) explore the role of brand identification and moral reasoning in shaping how consumers respond to so-called “woke-washing.”
• Xinyu Zhao, Hui Shi, and Zhengyan Li (University of Miami) dive into AI influencer activism, unpacking how consumers attribute responsibility and interpret motives in this emerging space.
• Ashley Johns, Sophia Mueller-Bryson, Alessandra Noli Peschiera, and Julio Velasquez (Florida State and Miami) examine the nuanced line between authentic brand activism and activism-washing in advertising, a phenomenon many consumers are now quick to critique.
• Tracey Kyles (University of Florida) introduces the concept of mirror branding, investigating how politically congruent consumerism can serve as both a persuasive strategy and a means of agenda setting.
• Sofia Johansson (University of South Florida) takes us global with a critical analysis of green advertising, using Oatly’s campaigns as a lens to explore transnational appeals to environmental consciousness.

Across these projects, a recurring question emerges: When brands take a stand, do consumers believe them—and does it matter if they don’t?

As we grapple with growing consumer skepticism, AI-driven content, and demands for corporate accountability, this session promises rich insights into how brand activism is perceived, judged, and acted upon by increasingly discerning audiences.

I look forward to engaging with these brilliant scholars and fostering dialogue that not only critiques but also imagines new possibilities for ethical and effective brand communication.

If you’re attending AEJMC in San Francisco, I invite you to join us for this session. Let’s explore what it truly means for a brand to have a voice—and what happens when consumers start talking back.