A study on the relationship between perceived CSR motives, authenticity and company attitudes: a comparative analysis of cause promotion and cause-related marketing

Min Ah Jeon,Daechun An

doi:10.1186/s41180-019-0028-4

Min Ah Jeon, Daechun An

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41180-019-0028-4

Copy DOI

Abstract

In order to delve into the complexity involved in the role of authenticity in the context of CSR marketing, this study examines the relationships among perceived CSR motives, authenticity and company attitudes. A different effect of perceived CSR motives on authenticity is also examined between the two most representative types of CSR activities, namely, cause promotion and cause-related marketing. The results from a face-to-face survey with a sample of 289 respondents show that value-driven and stakeholder-driven motives had a positive effect on CSR authenticity while egoistic motives negatively affected CSR authenticity. Also, the effects of value-driven and stakeholder-driven motives on CSR authenticity were found to be larger for cause promotion than they were for cause-related marketing. However, the difference in the effects of the other two motives on CSR authenticity was not statistically significant between cause promotion and cause-related marketing. In addition, the effect of CSR authenticity on company attitudes was found to be statistically significant. When the relative strengths of the effects of four categories of motives on CSR authenticity were compared, value-driven motives had the strongest effect on CSR authenticity for both cause promotion and cause-related marketing. Interestingly, for cause promotion, stakeholder-driven motives had the second strongest effect while egoistic motives were least influential. For cause-related marketing, egoistic motives were found to be the second most influential factor, followed by strategic and stakeholder-driven motives. Practical implications of these finding are discussed along with theoretical implications.

Highlights

Literature suggests that consumers’ perceptions of the motives behind a firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities influence their attitudes toward the firm and buying intentions of the products of a sponsoring firm (Becker-Olsen et al, 2006; Brown and Dacin, 1997)
Since the purpose of this study is to examine how consumers perceive CSR motives of different actions and they influence company attitudes from a marketing perspective, the two most representative types of marketing-oriented CSR activities are chosen for this study: cause promotion and cause-related marketing
This study intends to examine the role of authenticity in the context of CSR by looking at the relationship between CSR motives and authenticity, comparing consumer perceptions of motives between Cause Promotion (CP) and cause-related marketing (CRM), and examining the difference in the effects of CSR motives on CSR authenticity for CP and CRM

Summary

Introduction

Literature suggests that consumers’ perceptions of the motives behind a firm’s CSR activities influence their attitudes toward the firm and buying intentions of the products of a sponsoring firm (Becker-Olsen et al, 2006; Brown and Dacin, 1997). Extant research ignores a possible difference in consumer perceptions of CSR motives between the two representative types of CSR activities, cause promotion (CP, hereafter) and cause-related marketing (CRM, hereafter), and the subsequent effects. Most studies treat CSR marketing activities to be identical in their motives, goals, and specific tactics so that they may generate universally similar effects in the mind of consumers. The following research questions are addressed in the study: (1) Are there relationships between CSR motives and perceived CSR authenticity? (3) What is the difference in the effects of perceived CSR motives on CSR authenticity between CP and CRM? The following research questions are addressed in the study: (1) Are there relationships between CSR motives and perceived CSR authenticity? (2) Is there any difference in the perceptions of CSR motives between CP and CRM? (3) What is the difference in the effects of perceived CSR motives on CSR authenticity between CP and CRM?

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion