Anthropomorphizing brands: The role of attributed brand traits in interactive CSR communication and consumer online endorsements

Anne‐Marie Van Prooijen,Jos Bartels

doi:10.1002/cb.1786

Abstract

AbstractConsumers tend to relate to brands in similar ways as they relate to individuals and groups. However, relatively little is known about the attribution of human traits to brands in online contexts. The current research focused on the role of attributed brand traits in interactive corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication and positive electronic word‐of‐mouth intentions. Results of an online survey (N = 174) revealed that higher levels of perceived interactivity were associated with stronger attributions of morality, sociability, and competence traits to brands. Yet only attributed brand morality was associated with consumers' willingness to endorse the brand and its CSR message on social networking sites. These findings underline the importance of brands' openness to dialogue regarding the promotion of CSR activities. Furthermore, these findings suggest that consumers are most likely to feel that brands can represent their identity when brand morality is considered to be high.

Highlights

The promotion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives traditionally tended to occur through one‐way communication—in which consumers are recipients of information and are not directly listened to
The current research addresses how interactive CSR communication can consumers, which allows both parties to explore whether corporate affect attributed brand traits and whether these traits in turn can promote activities are mutually beneficial (Morsing & Schultz, 2006; consumers' electronic word‐of‐mouth intentions to endorse the Suárez‐Rico, Gómez‐Villegas, & Garciá‐Benau, 2018)
Relationships with brands are formed in ways that are relaaffordances of social networking sites (SNS) can invite consumers to engage in a dialogue with tively comparable with how people connect to other individuals and groups brands, thereby increasing brands' perceived interactivity (i.e., “the (Fournier&Alvarez,2012;MacInnis&Folkes,2017).Theseconsumer‐brand extent to which users perceive their experience as a simulation of relationships can be established through the process of anthropomorphism interpersonal interaction and sense they are in the presence of a (Aaker, 1997; Fournier, 1998; Maehle, Otnes, & Supphellen, 2011), which social other”; Thorson & Rodgers, 2006, p. 36)

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

The promotion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives traditionally tended to occur through one‐way communication—in which consumers are recipients of information and are not directly listened to. The current research focuses on the mediating role of brand traits in the relation between perceived interactivity of a CSR message and eWOM intentions. We propose that interactivity perceptions can positively influence the attribution of moral, sociable, and competent brand traits. Higher perceived interactivity of CSR communication on SNS is associated with higher levels of attributed brand morality, sociability, and competence. We expect that perceived brand morality will have a stronger influence on consumers' eWOM intentions than perceived brand sociability or competence. As morality is deemed key in identity evaluations, it is likely that consumers will feel a stronger connection to brands that are perceived to be moral, which can thereby promote brand endorsement on SNS as a way to signal their identity. Higher levels of attributed brand morality are associated with stronger eWOM intentions on SNS regarding (a) the CSR message and (b) the brand than attributed brand sociability or competence

| Participants and procedure

| RESULTS

| DISCUSSION

Findings

| Limitations and future directions