Consumer skepticism towards cause related marketing: exploring the consumer tendency to question from emerging market perspective

Abstract

There has been an increase in number of skeptical consumers who do not trust the actions of the marketers. Cause related marketing (CRM) is primarily being used by companies to position themselves on a social platform to develop a positive image in the mind of their customers. It is being increasingly used in several countries to build long term relation between the company and the consumer. The growth of CRM is not restricted to developed countries but has been gaining increased attention in several emerging countries. Knowledge and awareness are necessary ingredients to increase effectiveness of CRM, lack of which may result in consumer skepticism. This study explores consumer awareness and skepticism towards CRM which so far has received little attention from researchers. Statistical analysis was employed to examine the role of socio-demographic variables on both these variables. Data was collected through a survey of 500 consumers from five cites. The findings suggest that higher awareness could lead to higher skepticism. Younger consumers and females were found to less skeptical about CRM. Important implications for researchers are drawn in this study in the area of consumer skepticism towards CRM pertaining to emerging markets like India.