Nearly two-thirds (61%) of online consumers agree that brands play a significant role in social good, according to a recent study by UM. And brands that fail to live up to their expectations are being held accountable on social media.

This so-called “Resist” trend is one of the key trends shaping contemporary consumer behaviour according to UM’s Remix Culture study, a culturally focused iteration of its Wave X study tracking social and digital media usage and motivations. The study, conducted across 81 countries and 44 languages represents 1.73 billion active internet users.

The emergence of the “Resist” trend dovetails with a growing emphasis on brand purpose in recent years. While the effectiveness of brand purpose remains a matter of debate among marketing pundits and branding experts, Richard Fofana, vice-president of strategy for UM Canada, says it’s “undeniable” that purpose-led brands are more successful in today’s culture. The UM study found 59% of respondents “actively seek out brands that support the social causes” they believe in.

Read the full article in The Message here.