Consumers' perceptions of food service firms' philanthropy: Roles of fit and perceived authenticity

Abstract

We used philanthropy–product fit, philanthropy–consumer lifestyle fit, and authenticity to empirically examine the determinants of consumers' perceptions of food service firms' philanthropy. We recruited 458 participants who had purchased from 1 of 3 food service brands and had perceived that the firm had implemented philanthropy. The results indicate that perceived authenticity had the greatest influence on perceived philanthropy, followed by philanthropy–consumer lifestyle fit and then philanthropy–product fit. Further, perceived philanthropy positively influenced consumer loyalty. Thus, we have affirmed the importance of the fit between perceived authenticity and consumer lifestyle to enhance consumers' perception of firms' philanthropy.