Do consumers care about CSR activities of their favorite restaurant brands? Evidence from engagement on social networks

Abstract

ABSTRACT While prior corporate social responsibility (CSR) research has focused mainly on the positive influences of CSR activities on consumers’ perceptions of and attitudes toward brands with survey and experimental design approaches, the current study examines consumers’ engagement with CSR posts on social media platforms using quantitative content analysis. With emphasis on the restaurant industry, this study was conducted in the Facebook context, aiming to investigate how consumers respond to restaurant companies’ CSR posts. The results of this study indicate that the level of consumer engagement depends on the types of CSR posts – environmental, social, or economic. This study examined whether there are differences in CSR posts between the quick service and casual dining sectors, and whether consumers’ responses differ depending on the nature of the product/service and the type of CSR activities. This study contributes to the CSR and social media literature and provides implications for the restaurant industry.