With social movements like Black Lives matter, #MeToo and Fridays For Future on the rise consumers expect companies to take a stand on these socio-political topics. A new marketing strategy, called brand activism is used to communicate brands values and actions. This paper will conduct a case study of the company Oatly which has been standing out for its daring marketing strategies and analyze their visual communication by using the methods of visual analysis, semiotics and critical discourse analysis. The main research question is how Oalty uses its visual communication to convey brand activism. By analyzing one oat drink packaging, an ad campaign and an Instagram post the findings of this paper conclude that Oatly has several ways of communicating brand activism. These include the use of value based communication, referencing historical activism movements and the sociopolitical theme of promoting a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. The question arises about the authenticity of their opinions and the motives behind their brand activism. So whilst it's clear that companies like Oatly can convey the message of brand activism, this new marketing strategy needs further guidelines and methods of verification to ensure the use of authentic brand activism.

Brand activism is an increasingly significant theme in business and marketing research. The purpose of this study was to explore consumers' perceptions and expectations of authentic brand activism and to provide a practical guide for brands considering incorporating brand activism into their strategies. This study drew upon the theories of brand authenticity and brand activism, and employed a qualitative research methodology, using focus groups with consumers to gain in-depth insights. The findings reveal that consumers' perceptions of authentic brand activism are shaped by three key antecedents: the brand’s heritage and reputation, the transparency of information provided about the brand's activism efforts, and the inclusion of a clear call-to-action. These findings suggest that brands can enhance the perceived authenticity of their activism efforts by ensuring consistency with their established values and history, prioritizing transparency in their communication, and incorporating a clear call-to-action. Brands can use these insights to develop more effective brand activism strategies, thereby increasing their chances of resonating with consumers and avoiding potential backlash.

Varumärkesaktivism är en strategi för marknadsföring som har blivit alltmer uppmärksammad på senare år. Det är en form av ställningstaganden där varumärken lyfter samhällsfrågor för att påverka konsumenterna genom marknadsföring som är skapad och upprätthållen av sociala och politiska värderingar. Detta är extra viktigt inom klädbranschen då företag på den marknaden idag lider av minskat förtroende från konsumenter, dels när det kommer till integritet och dels när det gäller produkternas ursprung och tillverkning. Varumärkesaktivism kan i vissa fall dock missgynna företagen om kunden inte anser att denna aktivism är autentisk, eller om kunden inte sympatiserar med budskapet företaget förmedlar. Däremot kan detta även skapa fördelar om denna varumärkesaktivism är autentisk och kunden sympatiserar med budskapet, vilket är en svår balansgång för företag idag. Syftet med denna studie var därför att undersöka varför och hur ett känt internationellt företag inom klädbranschen arbetar med varumärkesidentitet samt varumärkesaktivism. Syftet var även att se hur företaget arbetar för att förmedla detta på ett autentiskt sätt till sina kunder och hur deras kunder uppfattar denna aktivism. Detta studerades genom att tillämpa en kvalitativ strategi där empiri samlades in genom kvalitativa intervjuer med chefer inom det utvalda företaget som arbetar med varumärkesbyggande, kommunikation samt sociala medier. För att ta reda på hur kunderna uppfattar denna aktivism genomfördes även kvalitativa intervjuer med kunder hos företaget. Studiens resultat visade att företaget idag har en tydlig varumärkesidentitet som bygger på deras kärnvärden samt grundvärderingar vilket även stämmer överens med uppfattningen från deras kunder. Utifrån varumärkesidentiteten tar företaget sedan ställning i sociopolitiska frågor genom att kommunicera denna varumärkesaktivism på sitt instagramkonto samt hemsida. Resultatet visade även att företagets kunder anser att varumärkets åsikter inom sociopolitiska frågor stämmer överens med hur företaget agerar vilket har bidragit till en autentisk uppfattning av företagets varumärkesaktivism. Sammanfattningsvis är denna studiens slutsats att företaget idag har en tydlig koppling mellan sin varumärkesidentitet samt varumärkesaktivism, vilket har lett till att deras aktivism uppfattas som autentisk från deras kunder. / Brand activism is a marketing strategy that has received increased attention in recent years. It is a form of stance where brands raise societal issues to influence consumers through marketing that is created and maintained by social and political values. This is important in the clothing industry as companies in the market today suffer from reduced trust from consumers, partly when it comes to the origin and manufacture of the products. However, brand activism can in some cases be a disadvantage for companies, if the customer does not believe that this activism is authentic, or if the customer does not agree with the message that the company is communicating. But in other cases, it can create benefits if this brand activism is authentic and fits in with the customer, which is a difficult balancing act for companies today. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate why and how a well-known international company in the clothing industry works with brand identity and brand activism and how the company communicates this in an authentic way to its customers and how the customers perceive this activism. This was studied by applying a qualitative strategy where empirical data has been collected through qualitative interviews with managers who work with brand building, communication and social media at the selected company. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with customers of the company to find out how the company's customers perceive this activism. The results of the study showed that the company today has a distinct brand identity based on their core values, which agrees with the perception from their customers as well. From the brand identity, the company takes a stand on sociopolitical issues by communicating this brand activism. Further, the results showed that the company's customers considered that the brand's views on socio-political issues are in line with how the company acts and thus contribute to an authentic perception of the company's brand activism. To summarize, this study showed that the company today has an evident link between its brand identity and brand activism, which has led to their activism being perceived as authentic by their customers.