Brands must adapt to ‘serious threat’ of being called out by ‘woke’ generation

Researchers examined the social media backlash against a KFC TV advertisement showing boys ogling a woman’s breasts (Mike Egerton/PA)

Major brands risk losing wealth and power if they rely on old-fashioned ideas in their advertising, thanks to the “woke” generation calling them out, according to new research.

The study, led by Karen Middleton, senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Portsmouth, found that consumer activism against perceived “dangerous” portrayals of women and other demographic groups poses a “growing and serious threat” to brands.