A Field Experiment Comparing the Effectiveness of “Ambush” and Cause Related Ad Appeals for Social Marketing Causes

Abstract

SUMMARY Cause related marketing (CRM) has changed corporate philanthropy into an alleged money maker for the corporate donor. While CRM requires a financial donation, tied to a sale, an “Ambush” causal marketer can potentially reap goodwill and sales without the financial cost of donating. This study uses a field experiment ad study (n = 459) to examine the comparative effectiveness of a true CRM vs. an Ambush ad approach for social causes. It also explores whether the chosen social cause needs to be naturally associated with the cause sponsor. The results suggest that an Ambush social cause appeal can perform as well as a CRM appeal, and that the social cause need not be closely associated to the marketer to favorably influence perceptions of the audience.