The Moderating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility on the Relationship between Brand Image and Brand Loyalty: A Post-COVID-19 Perspective among Telecommunication Firms in Ghana

Abstract

During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw many firms embark on different corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. The study examines how CSR activities have interacted with the brand image and brand loyalty of firms in the telecommunications industry in Ghana. Through a quantitative research design, the study analysed survey data from 501 customers using structural equation modelling. The result revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between brand image and brand loyalty. The study also identified that corporate cause promotion, cause-related marketing, corporate social marketing, corporate philanthropy, and socially responsible business practices were all statistically significant. Corporate volunteering was, however, found to be insignificant. This study expands the literature on CSR in a time of crises and it is one of the few studies that has deployed the multidimensions of CSR as a moderator to protect and enhance brand image and loyalty.