Cristel Russell Reminds Audiences to Be Savvy When it Comes to Corporate "Purpose-Washing"

In the world of advertising, companies often make claims to appeal to their customer base, including messaging around the types of causes they support and imagery associated with these claims. However, a new piece by Cristel Russell, professor of marketing at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, for Psychology Today warns consumers not to take claims of “woke-ness” at face value.

“To be fair, companies usually mean well,” says Russell in the op-ed. “They may genuinely care about the environment, diversity, or a number of other worthy causes…but in the end, they also care about selling products and services. Consumers, therefore, need to be discerning when it comes to deciding whether to make a purchase based on advertising language and understand that companies may have ulterior motives for claiming to care for a specific cause.”

The full op-ed is available here.