Publications [#367446] of Gavan J. Fitzsimons

Papers Published

1. Shepherd, S; Chartrand, TL; Fitzsimons, GJ, Sincere, not sinful: Political ideology and the unique role of brand sincerity in shaping heterosexual and LGBTQ Consumers’ views of LGBTQ ads, Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, vol. 6 no. 2 (April, 2021), pp. 250-262 [doi]
   (last updated on 2026/01/14)

   Abstract:
   Brand sincerity (wholesome, family-oriented) is a core dimension of brand personality; however, to what extent is LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning) representation congruent with brand sincerity? We argue that whether or not LGBTQ representation is considered “wholesome” or “family-friendly,” and how consumers respond to such representation, is dependent on political ideology. Results show that an ad featuring a same-sex (vs. opposite-sex) couple is rated lower in brand sincerity by conservatives, which then uniquely predicts ad attitudes. Conservatives also saw a same-sex couple as more incongruent with a sincere brand, and this incongruence predicted ad attitudes. However, these effects were not found when the brand was exciting. Conversely, LGBTQ consumers’ preferred same-sex couple representation in the context of a sincere (vs. exciting) brand. Finally, an archival analysis of ads found that sincere (vs. exciting) brands represent LGBTQ consumers more favorably. Implications are discussed.