Cause-related Marketing Initiatives Research Articles

Exploring the effective restaurant CrM ad

Purpose This experimental study aims to examine the effectiveness of cause-related marketing messages that incorporate both text and visuals, as compared to messages comprised solely of text, on the attitudes and behavioral intentions of restaurant customers, and to see if the impact varies across four categories of social causes (health, animal welfare, human services and the environment). Design/methodology/approach This experimental study uses a 2 (type of message) × 4 (cause category) between-subjects design. Findings Restaurant messages that combine text and visuals are more effective than restaurant messages with only text in engendering positive attitudinal and behavioral responses. This paper also found interaction effects between advertisement type and cause category on individuals’ responses (i.e. attitudes and behavioral intentions). Practical implications The messaging strategies suggested by this research will allow the restaurant industry to capitalize on the value of cause-related marketing initiatives. Originality/value This research contributes to the hospitality literature by expanding the realm of research on effective cause-related marketing initiatives.

Cause-related marketing: An experimental study about how the product type and the perceived fit may influence the consumer response

Although previous cause-related marketing literature has examined the role of the nature of the product and the perceived fit between the product and the cause, there is no clear consensus yet regarding the effect of these variables. This study contributes to existing literature by shedding light on the role that these two key factors have on consumer response. A 2 (utilitarian products vs. hedonic products)×2 (perceived fit: high vs. low) between-subjects factorial design was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that the nature of the promoted product used in the cause-related marketing campaign influences both brand attitude and purchase intention. Specifically, the attitude towards the brand was greater for the hedonic products than the utilitarian ones. By contrast, cause-related marketing campaigns linked to utilitarian products lead to higher purchase intentions. In addition, perceived fit between the product and the cause seems to play a key role, as this variable positively influences both the credibility of the campaign and the attitude towards the brand. The results provide useful guidelines for marketers in designing their cause-related marketing initiatives.

How to go green: unraveling green preferences of consumers

Purpose – Although a company can manifest its corporate social responsibility (CSR) effort through various strategies, the challenge this presents is that not all CSR activities have identical attributes with respect to the consumers’ perception. The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of four CSR initiatives – regulatory compliance, green cause-related marketing (CRM), green product, and a combination of green CRM and green product – on consumer attitude and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach – An experiment is conducted to investigate how consumers in an emerging Asian market like Thailand respond to different environmental CSR tactics. Findings – The results of this study demonstrate that a specific environmental CSR strategy elicits more favorable response than a general approach of complying with regulations. In addition, engaging in green CRM and offering a green product concurrently is perceived as more appealing than employing only either of the two strategies. The key finding is that in the eyes of Thai consumers, green CRM and green product CSR initiatives are substitutable. Originality/value – The paper conceptualizes the difference between four environmental CSR strategies from dimensions of the firm’s discretion and commitment level and highlights the importance of using specific voluntary environmental CSR strategies over involuntary regulatory compliance. Firms are recommended to engage in either green CRM or green product initiatives. The choice depends on a firm’s resources and opportunities. The addition of green CSR initiatives increases the positive impact on consumer attitude and purchase intention.

The impact of cause-related marketing (CRM) in spectator sport

AbstractCause-related marketing (CRM) refers to the marketing strategy an organization uses to associate itself with a good cause. Even though CRM decisions may be partly charitable, they may also serve corporate self-interest. Although this area of inquiry is growing, CRM's strategic potential as an effective management tool for connecting sport organizations (i.e., teams) with consumers has not been thoroughly examined in a sport management context. In order to provide an improved picture of spectator sport consumers' perceptions toward a sport team's CRM initiatives, we developed a structural model that incorporates perceived CRM, attitudes toward the team, and re-attendance intention. Using LISREL analysis, the findings showed that CRM's effect on re-attendance intention was completely mediated through the attitude toward the team. In addition, perceptions toward the team's motive for CRM did not vary CRM's effect on attitude and behavioral intention. The lack of interaction effect might provide evidence that there may be universal appeal and effectiveness of CRM in a spectator sport context. Consequently, the findings provide a useful rationale for making managerial decisions about implementing and maintaining CRM efforts in sport organization.

The impact of cause-related marketing (CRM) in spectator sport

AbstractCause-related marketing (CRM) refers to the marketing strategy an organization uses to associate itself with a good cause. Even though CRM decisions may be partly charitable, they may also serve corporate self-interest. Although this area of inquiry is growing, CRM's strategic potential as an effective management tool for connecting sport organizations (i.e., teams) with consumers has not been thoroughly examined in a sport management context. In order to provide an improved picture of spectator sport consumers' perceptions toward a sport team's CRM initiatives, we developed a structural model that incorporates perceived CRM, attitudes toward the team, and re-attendance intention. Using LISREL analysis, the findings showed that CRM's effect on re-attendance intention was completely mediated through the attitude toward the team. In addition, perceptions toward the team's motive for CRM did not vary CRM's effect on attitude and behavioral intention. The lack of interaction effect might provide evidence that there may be universal appeal and effectiveness of CRM in a spectator sport context. Consequently, the findings provide a useful rationale for making managerial decisions about implementing and maintaining CRM efforts in sport organization.

A Taxonomy of Cause-Related Marketing Research: Current Findings and Future Research Directions

ABSTRACT Cause-related marketing is an increasingly popular method of improving marketing relationships with customers, both for the sponsoring company and for the participating cause. This paper outlines the rewards and risks for the company and the cause as they consider this type of partnership, as well as the benefits and drawbacks for the customers asked to participate in these programs through the purchase of the sponsored product or service. Future directions for research are recommended in order to (1) expand the findings within this domain, and (2) to maximize sales results from cause-related marketing initiatives for businesses and causes.

The Impact of Cause Branding on Consumer Reactions to Products: Does Product/Cause 'Fit' Really Matter?

This paper examines the issue of 'fit' between causes, companies, products and brands in the field of Cause Related Marketing (CRM). The linking of charitable causes and commercial ventures via their branded identities has become very widespread in the last ten years. The literature states that obtaining a good 'fit', in terms of the positioning and objectives of both product and charity, is very important to the success of CRM initiatives. However, there is no empirical support for this common assertion. This paper describes an experiment that was designed to test the assumption that 'fit' is important. The results of the experiment indicate that the degree of 'fit' between products and causes does have a significant effect on consumers' evaluations of products that carry a cause 'brand identity' as part of a CRM campaign. The results also indicate that cause cues in low involvement purchase situations create their impact by disrupting existing decision heuristics, rather than by the creation of new heuristics of assessment. This finding has implications for commercial managers when they are assessing the 'fit' and potential benefits of CRM associations.