Performative Branding in the Age of Scrutiny
Once, “performative” was a neutral word. It lived in theatre, in language, in philosophy...about action as expression, words as performance, life as a kind of stage.
But in today’s cultural feed, “performative” has become a critique. It’s what we call out when someone does something for show, activism as a photo-op, allyship as a hashtag, sustainability as a campaign without the substance to back it up.
Audiences are sharper than they’ve ever been. They can spot the cracks between a brand’s persona and its actual practice. The “performance” no longer holds if it isn’t tethered to truth.
That doesn’t mean performance has no place in branding. In fact, performance is unavoidable...every post, campaign, or activation is staged in some way. The difference is whether the performance amplifies what’s real, or disguises what’s missing.
For brands, this is the new test: persona alignment. It’s not enough to look like the kind of brand that cares about climate, or equality, or craft. You have to be it, operationally and culturally, because the audience is watching from the front row nd they’re quick to call out the script.
“Audiences don’t just want the show...they want the truth behind it.”
The word “performative” has shifted into a kind of cultural warning label. When a brand wears the mask too thinly, the critique is instant. But when performance is paired with authenticity, theatre backed by substance...it can be powerful. Performance becomes more than a show. It becomes alignment in action.
Performative branding often reveals itself in the cracks — when what’s promised doesn’t match what’s practiced. Here are a few high-profile brands that have felt the sting of this critique.
Woolworths & Coles plastic bag bans (2018):
both supermarkets announced bans on single-use bags, but continued selling thicker plastic “reusable” bags. Many critics saw this as profit-driven and performative, not a genuine environmental step.
Qantas on climate: despite strong messaging about sustainability and carbon-neutral flying, climate groups have repeatedly challenged them for expanding flight routes and offsets seen as insufficient.
BP “Beyond Petroleum” rebrand (2000s–now): BP rebranded itself as environmentally progressive. The backlash: the Deepwater Horizon spill (2010) and continued fossil fuel expansion made the sustainability positioning look hollow — a classic case of performative branding.
