Marketing Mental Wellness: Avoid Wellwashing to Sustain Brand Authenticity

From car companies to clothing retailers, brands today are increasingly putting mental wellness front and center in their marketing. In this project, we introduce the concept of “wellwashing,” defined as marketing activities that inauthentically appropriate mental wellness concerns to advance brand interests. Drawing on the brand authenticity literature, we propose six types of wellwashing that vary in the degree to which they violate brand authenticity and therefore consumer trust. This project seeks to test the proposed hierarchical framework through an examination of advertising communications and branded social media content related to mental health. In so doing, we broaden the “washing” literature beyond inaccurate and deceptive claims. Our framework will offer consumers and policymakers guidance on how to measure and regulate mental wellness claims and help brands avoid accusations of wellwashing.