Abstract
Customer-company (C-C) identification is the perceived fit between the identities of a consumer and an organization. If a consumer identifies with a company that places a high priority on being socially responsible, a consumer who also values social responsibility may support and patronize that business because of the link between something that is important to both them and the company. Because C-C identification may explain the success of cause-related marketing (CRM) in the fashion industry, we investigated the effect of an image resulting from CRM on ratings of brand attributes (e.g., distinctiveness, credibility, attractiveness), identification with the brand, attitude toward the brand, and customer loyalty. Participants also responded to open-ended questions reflecting their rationale for their ratings of brand attributes. Data were collected from a convenience sample of undergraduates (n = 228) enrolled at Midwestern University in the U.S. Structural equation modeling revealed that as ratings of the social responsibility of the cause-related marketing effort increased so did perceptions of the brand's distinctiveness, credibility, and attractiveness. Participants identified with a brand when they rated the brand as attractive. Participants' identification with a brand had a significant impact on attitudes toward the brand and customer loyalty (e.g., purchase intention, willingness to spread positive word-of-mouth). Content analyses of open-ended responses supported the idea that brand images stemming from CRM exert an important influence on consumer's ratings of brand attributes. Fashion marketers interested in cause-related marketing will find success with efforts that increase customer identification.
Highlights
Companies employ corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies as a tool to communicate with their target consumers
Based on Curras-Perez et al(2009)’s conceptual model of consumer identification with a socially responsible company, we investigated the effect of CSR image of cause-related marketing efforts on consumer’s identification and response to a brand within the context of fashion industry
The inclusion of the concept of brand credibility enhanced the model by demonstrating the impact of another brand attribute on C-C identification
Summary
Companies employ corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies as a tool to communicate with their target consumers. Consumer response to CSR strategies has been positive (Kim & Sung, 2011). CSR consists of four subcomponents: economics, law, ethics, and philanthropy (Carroll, 1991). Regarding these factors, CSR refers to making a profit, obeying the law, being ethical, and being a good corporate citizen. As types of CSR, companies spend great sums of money each year on corporate philanthropy, sponsorships, and cause-related marketing (Cornwell & Coote, 2005). Among the CSR types, cause-related marketing (CRM) is a specific marketing activity in which the company promises its consumers to donate company resources to a worthy cause (Van den Brink et al, 2006)
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