Effectiveness of corporate social marketing on prosocial behavior and hotel loyalty in a time of pandemic

Abstract

Marketing hotels during a global health crisis is challenging and requires special attention to social responsibility. Given these demands, this study seeks to assess the influence of hotels’ corporate social marketing (CSM) on consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our conceptual framework, based on attribution theory, is a useful tool for understanding how CSM can influence behavior change while reaping business benefits in a time of pandemic. Based on our results, we argue that hotels' CSM attributes influence consumers' attitude toward the hotel, which increases the likelihood they will engage in prosocial behavior. The positive attitude-behavior linkage, however, is likely to weaken as perceived health risk grows. This study is one of the first to focus on understanding hotel social marketing and its impacts on customer behavior in a pandemic context. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.