Cause-related Marketing Research Articles

CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARD CAUSE-RELATED PRODUCTS: A STUDY OF JAPANESE CUSTOMERS AND BENEFICIARY-MADE ITEMS

Much research has been done on cause-related marketing activities implemented by for-profit businesses. However, researchers seem to neglect that the beneficiaries make specific products used in cause-related campaigns, and for-beneficiaries organizations also run specific campaigns. Further research, thus, needs to be done to understand and support these self-help efforts. This study investigated customer attitudes toward products made by people with disabilities – the direct beneficiaries of the generated incomes. By interviewing fifteen female customers in Japan, this study found that the participants had a somewhat positive attitude. They wanted to buy or had bought these kinds of products. The customers’ perceptions of product quality were good. However, their perception of product types and production scale was not. The women’s perceptions and behaviours, or their attitudes, were affected by several personal and environmental factors. A recent factor, the COVID-19 pandemic, seemed to add some situational impacts. Implications for expanding cause-related marketing theory and improving cause-related marketing activities from the beneficiary perspective were discussed based on these findings.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The present paper approaches Corporate Social Responsibility through a case study concerning Cause Related Marketing, whose concept is defined by strategic partnerships between companies and social organizations. The enterprises invest on the social cause, promoting the corporate social responsibility, whereas the social organizations receive financial resources for their causes, and both gain visibility. Nowadays, it is quite common to find enterprises worldwide which include private social investment in their market strategies to add value and credibility to their brands. However, in Brazil few enterprises are aware of the possibility to use this tool of Cause Related Marketing (CRM). The scope of this study is to understand and clarify the kind of partnership between Alpargatas-Havaianas and Institute of Ecological Research-IPÊ, in Brazil, as well as identify the main challenges of the partnership developed by both. To reach this aim, bibliographic research was performed, followed by document analysis, partially structured in-depth interviews, besides direct observation in some stores. The partnership started in 2004 and showed to have well structured principles of CRM, concerning the alignment between the parties, formal partnership, social cause, donation mode and duration. It was observed that the sales people in the exclusive stores for Havaianas and IPÊ sandals can be more well trained, and communication on the partnership for the consumer can be strengthened. Cause Related Marketing showed to be an important tool for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Trends in Cause-Related Marketing (CRM): Scientometrics Analysis Through Prism of Biblioshiny

Purpose: Although interest in cause-related marketing has grown steadily since 1998, the field as a whole remains disorganized. Accordingly, this research aims to undertake a thorough literature evaluation on CrM. This research aims to create a comprehensive picture of cause-related marketing from 1988 through March 2022 by combining data from Scopus and Web of Science (WOS). Design/Methodology/Approach: Articles were analysed using bibliometric criteria in this study. Bibliographic analysis facilitates research into and evaluation of multiple perspectives, as well as the assessment of the field’s growth. Biblioshiny, a bibliometrics tool developed at the R-studio, was used to assess the quality of research papers on the topic of CrM that were gathered from the databases Scopus and Web of Science. The most prominent authors, articles, journals, organisations, and nations in the field of cause-related marketing were determined after reviewing 646 papers published between 1988 and 2022. The most common words used in the titles, meta-descriptions, and abstracts were also counted. Findings: The state of CrM research and research patterns over the previous 30 years were thoroughly investigated using visualisation techniques such as content analysis, word cloud, citation analysis, etc. This study has uncovered some new ground for investigation into cause-related marketing. Research Limitations/Implications: Many more publications could not be included for generalisation reasons because the study included data from two databases. Additionally, our research shows that there aren’t many journals that have written about cause-related marketing. Practical Implications: This article may be helpful to both researchers and practitioners who are looking for research advice. Based on trend subjects, co-occurrences, and historical networks, this research also suggests potential new study topics for the future. Originality/Value: This is the first study to use the bibliometrics package in R to create a visual representation of the body of work produced on the topic of CrM in the thirty years since the notion was originally articulated.

Low‐fit cause‐related marketing: When and why do consumers respond positively?

AbstractThis paper examines when and why consumers are likely to support low‐fit cause‐related marketing (CM) initiatives. Through six studies, we demonstrate that when consumers think more holistically rather than analytically, they are likely to respond as positively to low‐fit CM initiatives as high‐fit ones. This effect occurs because holistic thinkers focus not only on the company and its characteristics but also on the perceived need of the cause beneficiaries, making them more likely to perceive the corporate motives to be public‐serving, producing more favorable evaluations of the company. Dispositional skepticism toward corporate social responsibility (CSR) acts as a boundary condition of this effect.

"I Decked Myself Out in Pink"

"I Decked Myself Out in Pink"

The effect of cause-related marketing on the green consumption attitude–behaviour gap in the cosmetics industry

PurposeThe aim of the article is to analyze the effect of cause-related marketing on the attitude–behaviour gap of green consumption in the cosmetics industry. Specifically, the authors examine the relationship between attitude towards the environment, attitude towards green consumption, subjective norms of green consumption, green consumption intention, green consumption behaviour and cause-related marketing.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional research design was used to test the results of a random sample of 241 respondents and quantitative research was conducted using the data collected through an online questionnaire.FindingsThe research expanded the current knowledge on the effect of cause-related marketing on consumers’ green purchase behaviour and the findings suggested that green cosmetics producers and sellers should clearly define their target audience before choosing the type of cause-related marketing, as it mainly influences those consumers who have a positive attitude towards green consumption.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications of the research are relevant for marketing specialists, managers and agencies who are looking to promote green cosmetics products.Practical implicationsBefore promoting green cosmetics products, it is important to understand who the target consumer is and whether they have a positive attitude towards the environment, green consumption and also if they are affected by acquaintances’ opinions.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the already existing academic literature by providing a greater understanding of the effect of cause-related marketing on the attitude–behaviour gap of green consumption.

Altruistic Motivation, Moral Elevation and Tourism Support Behavior: An Empirical Study Based on Cause-Related Marketing in Tourist Destinations

The theoretical research on cause-related marketing in the field of tourism is comparatively lacking. This study aims to examine the role of moral elevation in the cause-related marketing of tourist destinations. Taking Zhangjiajie, China as a case study, based on the stimulus-organism-response framework, this research develops a model of altruistic motivation, moral elevation and tourism support behavior. The results show that altruistic motivation has a significant positive impact on the emotional component, the views of humanity and the desire to be a better person; the desire to be a better person has a significant positive impact on tourism support behavior, and it also plays a mediating role between altruistic motivation and tourism support behavior. This study applies cause-related marketing theory to the research of tourist destinations, which can provide useful suggestions for the marketing of other tourist destinations under the background of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Customer Satisfaction in the Field of Corporate Social Responsibility Research -- A Visual Analysis based on Citespace Software

To stand out in the era of brand economy, enterprises need to establish and maintain a good relationship with consumers. This is not only helpful to gain more profits, but also the key to improve competitiveness and brand influence. By fulfilling corporate social responsibility (CSR), enterprises can influence consumers' brand satisfaction and loyalty, so as to promote consumers' cognition of their brands and products and improve brand relations. In this study, CiteSpace software was used for scientific measurement and visual analysis of the relevant literature of CSR research from 2003 to 2022. The results showed that from 2003 to 2022, a total of 600 literatures were included, and the number of literatures showed an exponential growth trend, with an annual average of about 30 papers. There is increasing interest in this area. The United States was the highest producer in this field, accounting for about 24.67% of the total literature. Penn State University was the most productive, followed by the University of Cantabria. Influential institutions include Michigan State University and Sejong University. Mattila, Anna S is the most published author. The number of Sustainability articles was the largest, the impact factors of Journal of clean Production was the largest, and the number of co-citations of Journal of Marketing was the largest. Research focuses on brand image, consumer behavior, corporate reputation, brand attitude, sustainable practices, cause-related marketing, etc. Future research trends are mainly reflected in the mediating factors between CSR and consumer satisfaction, and the relationship between brand image and brand trust, which will provide new ideas for the management, governance and sustainable development of this field in the future.

The Construction of the Representation based on Product, Brand Advertisement, and Cause-related Marketing: Aqua Case

The study discusses on how Aqua as the product as well as brand and its cause related marketing activities become the source of popular culture. The customer and community as the stakeholder of Aqua create new meaning using the brand and its advertisement. The new meaning is representations of people’s daily life. Product, brand, and the cause-related marketing activities are a top-down communication that controlled by the capitalist. The representations are a bottom-up communication of people who are constructing and reconstructing their everyday life for their own interests.

The Impact of Cause-Related Marketing on Brand Image, Perceived Quality, Brand Awareness, and Purchase Intention: The Moderate Role of Customers Skepticism

Over the past years, the relationship between companies and non-governmental organizations has witnessed remarkable cooperation and growth. Many businesses in Lebanon are taking advantage of the present economic and social situation to address social concerns and market their brand in a humanitarian manner. This study investigates the influence of cause-related marketing campaigns performed by companies on brand image, perceived quality, brand awareness, and purchase intention. In addition, the current study addresses the moderate impact of customer’s skepticism on the relationship between the examined variables. By employing shareholder value theory, the conceptual framework was developed to explain the outcomes of cause-related marketing on cognitive, perceptual and behavioral outcomes of customers. A quantitative method was used, and data was collected from 212 respondents in order to achieve the current research objectives. The findings of the present study reveal a positive relationship between cause-related marketing and brand image, perceived quality, customer’s purchase intentions. Moreover, the findings stated that customer’s skepticism negatively moderate the relationship between cause-related marketing campaigns and brand image. This study enhances marketing literature regarding the fundamental effect of cause-related marketing. Moreover, this study provides both marketers and companies’ managers with a better understanding of cause-related marketing outcomes and guides them to comprehend the effect customer’s skepticism on the outcomes of cause-related marketing campaigns.

Impact of Gamification on Consumers’ Favorability in Cause-Related Marketing Programs: Between-Subjects Experiments

Successful cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns can help companies stand out from their competitors; however, CRM may not have pleasant outcomes, even if it receives substantial investment. This research aimed to investigate how gamified CRM projects influence consumers' favorability. We introduced 3 different CRM projects in 3 different studies. Every project had 2 versions according to the level of gamification, and participants were randomly assigned into these 2 groups. Additionally, we used a 2 (gamification: lower, higher) 2 (rules presentation: without visual cues, with visual cues) between-subjects design to test the moderation role of rules presentation in gamified CRM projects. In Study 1, we identified that the highly gamified CRM program induces more enjoyment (F1,139=21.11, P<.001) and higher favorability (F1,139=14.57, P<.001). Moreover, we found that enjoyment played a mediation role between gamification and favorability (P<.001) in Study 2. In addition, the results of Study 3 indicated rules presentation in a gamified CRM program can moderate the indirect effect of gamification on favorability via enjoyment (index of the moderated mediation: 95% CI -1.12 to -0.10; for rules presentation with visual cues: 95% CI 0.69 to 1.40; for rules presentation without visual cues: 95% CI 0.08 to 0.83). Overall, this research contributes to the CRM literature and suggests gamification is an effective way of managing CRM campaigns.

The influence of negative emotions on brand trust and intention to share cause-related posts: A neuroscientific study

Negative user-generated content provides cues that warn other consumers to avoid using a particular product or service. This study explores whether brand feedback can counteract consumer backlash to a given company’s cause-related marketing, with a particular focus on how visual attention can moderate negative emotions. Hypotheses based on the Appraisal-Tendency Framework and commitment-trust theory were tested using neurophysiological tools (eye tracking and facial coding) and self-reported measures. The findings suggest that emotions with similar valence and arousal levels cause differing trust perceptions and consumer behavioral responses (sharing intentions), based on the presence or absence of brand feedback. Brand feedback diminishes customers’ visual attention to negative comments in cause-related marketing posts. Consumers’ visual attention to negative comments on a given brand’s cause-related posts, reduces brand trust and its influence on sharing intentions. The findings contribute to the literature by describing mechanisms through which brand feedback influences brand outcomes.

Balancing Consumer Self-Benefits and Altruism in Online Shopping: Examining Consumer Preferences for Customized and Personalized Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns Versus Price Discounts

Recently, the well-established marketing concepts of personalization and customization have also been applied to cause-related marketing (CRM) to empower consumers and overcome issues of such campaigns with a specific, pre-determined cause. This study examines the effectiveness of customized and personalized CRM for apparel products compared to price discounts. The results of a representative choice based conjoint experiment among German consumers (n = 388) show that consumers prefer customized CRM to other types of CRM campaigns and price discounts. While personalized CRM is also perceived as more effective than price discounts, CRM campaigns with a baseline cause are outperformed by price discounts. The study also found that psychographic consumer characteristics, i.e., consumers’ personality structures and cultural orientations can be used to explain consumers’ heterogeneous preferences for different marketing appeals. Finally, three consumer segments were identified – pro-social consumers, pricesensitive consumers, and Amazon Captives – that retailers can target with tailored marketing strategies.

Impact of celebrity endorsement on cause-related marketing and purchase intention of FMCG consumers in Chennai

The study planned to examine the impact of celebrity endorsement on cause-related marketing and purchase intention of FMCG consumers in Chennai. The consumers frequently purchasing fast-moving consumer goods in supermarket, and departmental stores are identified for survey. The study is started with 1029 sample consumers. Purposive sampling technique is administered for sample selection. The study considered the aspects like product eminence, brand fame, target audience, nature of cause, celebrity endorsement and purchase intention of consumers. Structural equation modelling and one-way Anova are applied to test the hypotheses proposed. Result revealed that product eminence, brand fame and target audience have positive and significant effect on nature of cause. The nature of cause has positive and significant impact on purchase intention. Celebrity endorsement has significant partial mediation towards nature of cause and purchase intention of consumers.

Cause-related marketing online trust and purchase intention: investigating the role of CSR, cause involvement, perceived value and the moderating role of donation magnitude

Cause-related marketing online trust and purchase intention: investigating the role of CSR, cause involvement, perceived value and the moderating role of donation magnitude

Cause-related marketing online trust and purchase intention: investigating the role of CSR, cause involvement, perceived value and the moderating role of donation magnitude

Cause-related marketing online trust and purchase intention: investigating the role of CSR, cause involvement, perceived value and the moderating role of donation magnitude

Consumers´ Perception of Responsible Companies and Using of Cause-Related Marketing in their CSR Practice

Consumers´ Perception of Responsible Companies and Using of Cause-Related Marketing in their CSR Practice

Cause-related marketing strategy in a supply chain: A theoretical analysis and a case study

With the development of commodity market, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a topic of widespread concern for both enterprises and society. Cause-related marketing (CRM), as an effective marketing tool for enterprises to fulfill their social responsibility, is rapidly being applied to all stages of the supply chain. However, there is no conclusive evidence on the implementation strategy of CRM for supply chain members. In this paper, we study the decision and pricing strategies of CRM for the manufacturer and the retailer by constructing models for two scenarios: the manufacturer implements CRM, and the retailer implements CRM. We conclude that the donation percentage and the pro-sociality of consumers have a significant impact on the strategic and pricing decisions for supply chain members. The wholesale and selling prices will be higher when the manufacturer implements CRM. Our result also shows that the manufacturer and retailer are profitable in CRM only when the donation amount exceeds a certain percentage. In addition, to maximize profits, the manufacturer is more likely to allow a retailer to implement CRM, and the retailer is only optimally positioned to implement CRM when the pro-sociality of consumers is high or when the donation percentage is high.

Beyond all boundaries: women empowerment and the Russian sportswear market

Learning outcomes The case demonstrated the importance of cultural peculiarities and mechanisms of customer learning in localizing global marketing campaigns. It introduced the consequences of unexpected spillover of viral marketing and PR scandals on the competition. It helps in developing the students’ ability to determine and assess the impact of viral marketing campaigns from the perspectives of various stakeholders of the organization. Case overview/synopsis In 2017, Nike Russia created one of the most successful and influential ad campaigns in the Russian women's sportswear market by encouraging young girls to try new sports. At the same time, Reebok launched a successful worldwide “be more human” campaign aimed at empowering women all around the globe. Two years later, Reebok Russia tried to localize the successful campaign while adjusting the message to be more assertive. As a result, the company met a country-wide outrage from both feminists and anti-feminists. The case centers around Nikolay Borisov, the CEO of Nike Russia, who was unexpectedly drawn into a provocative public discussion on the use of the female empowerment agenda for cause-related marketing. The case dilemma was set during mid-February 2019 and involved Borisov’s assessment of the impact of the competitor’s viral campaign on the market and choice of a reaction strategy to public outrage. Complexity academic level This case is appropriate for an undergraduate or graduate-level program curriculum for courses dedicated to or including topics related to positioning, doing business in emerging markets, corporate social responsibility and consumer behavior. Before engaging with the case, the students should be aware of basic management and economics-related concepts and terms, such as strategy, positioning, CSR and viral marketing. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

Doing good by sharing messages: An investigation of “You Share, We Donate” campaigns and how they can attain viral success

With the rise of social media, companies are engaging in a new type of cause-related marketing classified as “You Share, We Donate” (YSWD) campaigns. YSWD campaigns encourage consumers to share the company’s campaign message, with the promise that the company will donate to a designated cause, and the total donation amount is linked to the number of “shares” the message gets. Thus, the success of these campaigns depends on the campaign's virality. In order to understand what organizations need to do to set up successful YSWD campaigns, we investigate the linkage between donation cap (non-)specification—an important design element—and YSWD campaign success. The results of the analyses of 574 real-world YSWD campaigns and four experiments show that donation cap non-specification encourages consumers to share the campaign message more than when a donation cap is specified. However, this effect diminishes if a company is perceived as highly credible.