Spanish Consumers Research Articles

Effects of pragmatic and moral concerns on perceived TV quality

Abstract This article analyses perceived television quality in a sample of Spanish consumers by considering the role played by viewers’ concerns about television contents. It applies to all kinds of terrestrial television channels in Spain. These concerns are found to be classiffied in two categories: pragmatic and moral. The intensity of these concerns is related to the socio-demographic characteristics of the viewers. Male, older and educated viewers are found to show stronger pragmatic concerns on TV content whereas women and older viewers show stronger moral concerns. Pragmatic concerns have a negative influence on perceived TV quality, but no effect is detected for moral concerns.

Relative importance of cues underlying Spanish consumers’ beef choice and segmentation, and consumer liking of beef enriched with n-3 and CLA fatty acids

The choice experiments technique was used to estimate the relative importance of some of the main attributes of beef; origin (locally produced, other Spanish origin), animal diet (conventional, enriched with n-3, with CLA, or with n-3 plus CLA), amount of visible fat (slight, moderate), meat colour (bright red, pale red), and price (6.6, 5.7, 4.8 and 3.9 € per tray containing 0.3kg of beef loin) in three Spanish cities (Barcelona, Pamplona, Zaragoza) with 322 individuals. Consumer segments with similar preference profiles of beef choices were identified using the Latent Class model. Consumer liking of beef enriched with n-3 and/or CLA fatty acids was also evaluated by the same consumers. The most important cue driving the majority of consumers’ beef purchase decisions was the amount of visible fat (36%) followed by price (25%), then colour (19%) and origin (17%), and finally animal diet (4%) which was not important. Most consumers preferred beef with a slight content of visible fat, medium–low price, locally produced and bright red colour. Segmentation analysis revealed three consumer profiles: ‘health conscious consumers’ with preference for lean beef (consumers: older, women, retired, housewives, greater food expenditure and more concerned with health); ‘price-oriented consumers’ with preference for lowest priced beef (consumers: younger, students, higher education, lower beef intake and purchase at supermarket); and ‘quality-oriented consumers’ with preference for beef with moderate amount of visible fat (consumers: men, from Barcelona). Consumers were willing to pay a premium of 1.21, 1.52 and 2.04 € over 14 €/kg for CLA, n-3 and n-3 plus CLA enriched beef, respectively. ‘Health conscious consumers’ were more willing to pay and more likely to purchase enriched beef with beneficial fatty acids. The individual beef enrichment with n-3 or CLA improved consumer liking scores, while the combined enrichment with n-3 plus CLA offered no hedonic advantages over conventional beef.

Consumer Perception of Dry‐Cured Ham – A Cross‐Cultural Study in Italy, Norway and Spain

AbstractThe main aim of this study was to explore Italian, Norwegian and Spanish consumers' sensory perception of dry‐cured ham. Six samples of dry‐cured ham, two Italian, two Norwegian and two Spanish, were profiled by trained panels in the three countries. Consumer samples of 30 respondents in each country elicited sensory descriptors for the six hams and subsequently rated the intensity of individual descriptors. Perceptual consensus product maps were derived from the Generalized Procrustes Analysis.Results revealed that all the four sensory modalities are important for the perception of dry‐cured ham and demonstrated a relatively large variation in vocabulary used for sensory description of hams in the three countries. Because of less familiarity with dry‐cured ham and a different eating culture, Norwegian consumers have a relatively limited vocabulary and do not agree well on the concepts for given descriptors. Attributes that were most frequently used across panels and countries were: red color, marbling, ripe/cured flavor and odor, saltiness, sweetness, firmness and tenderness.Practical ApplicationsFood preferences and description of sensory properties in foods vary across cultures. Considering the global character of today's food market, it is crucial for the food industry to use proper and meaningful words to communicate their products. Moreover, communication of sensory product attributes to consumers creates both sensory‐based and hedonic‐based expectations to the sensory quality. It is essential that these expectations are met during consumers eating experience.Finding in this study demonstrate a relatively large variation in vocabulary used for description of dry‐cured ham in Norway, Italy and Spain. This is mainly due to differences in familiarity with the product and different cultural eating experiences. Accordingly, it is important to tailor the communication of products according to the relevant consumer segment.

Sensory drivers of intrinsic quality of red wines: Effect of culture and level of expertise

The present study aims at evaluating the effect of culture and level of expertise on the perception of wine intrinsic quality. Therefore, regular consumers (108) and experts (119) from La Rioja (RJ-Spain) and Côtes du Rhône (CdR-France) evaluated the intrinsic quality of 12 red wines from both regions. Participants had to categorise the wines according to four levels of quality going from very low to very high quality.Results show no significant correlation between the quality scores given by experts and regular consumers whereas judgments given by French and Spanish experts are significantly correlated as are consumers' quality judgments. This demonstrates that perceived intrinsic quality is dependent on consumers' level of expertise. Consumers associate quality exemplars to woody-related aromas and experts to red fruity aromas. Animal and vegetal attributes are negatively correlated to wine quality, regardless of consumer's culture and level of expertise, while astringency negatively influences quality evaluated by Spanish consumers.It is also observed that Spanish consumers (who report to drink mostly RJ wines) find domestic wines (RJ) of higher quality than foreign wines (CdR). However, French consumers (who drink RJ and CdR with the same frequency) do not differentiate foreign and domestic wines in terms of intrinsic quality. This suggests that intrinsic quality perceived by both groups of regular wine consumers is related to consumers' exposure to wine, and thus to wine familiarity.

Unit price information on the reference price formation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of unit price information in the formation of the consumer reference prices. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology consisted of two stages. At first stage a survey with a sample of 700 Spanish consumers was carried out. In the second stage, a 200-consumer panel was used. The sampling method was not random for both stages. In the second stage The authors use virtual shelves of three categories, in which, in addition to the brand, the consumer faces various package sizes. Findings – Results show that the unit price information significantly influences the consumers' choice and that such influence can be moderated by the loyalty that the consumer presents. Furthermore, it is noted that the influence of the unit price on price recall is better if the category has many brands and not common size. In these cases the proportion of the use of the unit price is greater. The effect of frequency of purchase on the accuracy of the price recall is less in this type of categories, and more in categories of easy comparison. Originality/value – This study proposes that the unit price information influences the internal reference price of consumers.

Consumers' perception of the environmental performance in retail stores: an analysis of the German and the Spanish consumer

AbstractThe purpose of our research is to find out about the consumer's perception of environmental retailing performance. Furthermore, consumer motives leading to sustainable consumption are measured by how they influence the consumer perception. Our study is divided into two parts and based on an international survey (n = 989) comparing German and Spanish consumers. First, we measure the perceiving availability and visibility of sustainable products in retail stores. Second, the impact of personal motives on sustainable consumption is evaluated, considering culture to be a moderating factor. Our study suggests that Spanish consumers tend to exhibit a weaker perception of sustainable products at their market places due to a weaker environmental awareness. Finally, we have identified the high importance of the social impact on both consumer groups regarding personal motives. The egoistic motive, however, has stronger effects on sustainable consumption among the Spanish consumers.

Altruism or Strategy? A Study of Attributions of Responsibility in Business and its Impact on the Consumer Decision Making Process

ABSTRACT. The principal aim of this paper is to propose model of consumer decision making based on responsibility criteria, just as to analyze the role of consumers' attributions of business responsibility as determinants of that process. A self-reported study was conducted from total sample of 454 Spanish consumers. Structural equations modeling with PLS was used to test the sequence between information search, information evaluation and purchase behavior based on responsibility criteria, just as the effect of value, stakeholder, strategic and egoistic-driven motivations attributed to corporate responsibility. Results support model of responsible consumer decision making and show different pattern of effects of social and strategic attributions on consumer behavior.JEL Classification: M31Keywords: Public marketing, corporate social responsibility, responsible consumption, consumer decision making process, social orientation, profit orientation, SpainIntroductionOver past decades, responsibility has gained increasing importance within both public and private organizations, it being the subject of much investigation and debate among both researchers and practitioners (Ibrahim et al., 2006). Particularly, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been defined as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on voluntary basis (European Commission, 2001, p. 6).According to this new paradigm of economic functioning, enterprises are more and more convinced that improvement of social settings through their own activity has great potential to contribute to the objectives pursued. In this sense, all kind of organizations around the world are nowadays concerned for maintaining their reputation and making it clear their involvement with social demands and changes, in order to send signal to the various stakeholders with whom they interact. From this viewpoint, widely accepted among academics and experts, it is assumed that consumers' demands and expectations have to be satisfied beyond the specific need which originated the relationship with the organization. In words of Baker (2006, pp. 197-198), distinction between success and failure in competitive markets may be reduced to two basic issues, first, an understanding of marketing needs, and, second, the ability to deliver added value.In consequence, business managers are now aware that issues such as collaboration with social causes, guarantee of fair relationships with stakeholders, fair trade, environmental awareness, work insertion of marginal collectives, and health and safety at work are, among others, new expectations to be fulfilled by enterprises in the satisfaction of consumer expectations (e.g., Vazquez et al., 2011, 2012). Hence, responsible initiatives to influence consumers and differentiate product offerings have become quite common in current marketplaces (Becker-Olsen et al., 2006).In line with this premise, many authors have investigated the implications of responsibility for marketing in organizations, concluding that contribution to social and environmental causes may induce consumer goodwill towards the company (e.g., Brown and Dacin, 1997; Jones, 1997; Handelman and Arnold, 1999; Lorge, 1999; Maignan, 2001), and thus remarking the importance of considering the way that corporate decisions are perceived by the public (Roberts, 1993, 1995, 1996; Mohr et al., 2001; Becker-Olsen et al., 2006; Ellen et al., 2006; Webb et al., 2008; Vlachos et al., 2009). However, previous research have founded important mismatches between the pre-purchase and purchase behaviors of consumers when taking into consideration CSR criteria, in the sense that they seem to be less likely to buy ethical products than their stated intentions in marketplace polls (e.g., Auger et al., 2008; Ehrich and Irving, 2005; Luchs et al., 2010; Gupta and Sen, 2013). …

Preferences for lamb meat: A choice experiment for Spanish consumers

This paper analyzes consumers' preferences for different lamb meat attributes using a choice experiment. In particular, preferences for the type of commercial lamb meat (“Ternasco” and “Suckling”) and the origin of production (locally produced “Ojinegra from Teruel”) were evaluated. Moreover, we endogenously identify consumers' segments based on consumers' preferences for the analyzed attributes. Data come from a survey administrated in Spain during 2009. A latent class model was used to estimate the effect of the attributes on consumer utility, derive the willingness to pay and determine consumers' segments. Results suggest that consumers' preferences for both attributes are heterogeneous and two homogenous consumers' segments were detected. The largest segment (79%) did not value any of the analyzed attributes while the smaller one (21%) valued both of them positively. In particular, consumers in this second segment are willing to pay an extra premium for the “Ternasco” lamb meat, around double the premium they are willing to pay for the locally produced lamb meat “Ojinegra from Teruel”.

What comes first, origin or production method? An investigation into the relative importance of different attributes in the demand for eggs

This paper analyses consumer preferences for different eggs attributes to assess the importance placed by consumers on the origin and method of production when shopping. The data comes from an experiment conducted in Spain during 2009. An Error Component Random Parameter Logit model is used to estimate the effect of different eggs characteristics on consumers’ utility and derive their willingness to pay. Results suggest that consumers positively value the free-range and organic method of production and the local and regional origin and that they are willing to pay an additional € 0.85 for each package of six free-range or organic eggs, € 0.77 for locally produced and € 0.27 for regional produced eggs. Hence, the least valued eggs for consumers are those produced in cages and outside the region. Relative to this product, the highest willingness to pay corresponds to free-range or organic eggs followed by locally produced eggs and finally, by the regional eggs. Thus, we can conclude that Spanish consumers give more importance when shopping for eggs to the method of production than to the origin of production.

Evaluation of New Packaging Formats for Dry‐Cured Meat Products Using Conjoint Analysis: An Application to Dry‐Cured Iberian Ham

AbstractDry‐cured Iberian pork products have long been a traditional and highly appreciated delicacy in Spain, and because of their excellent sensorial and nutritional qualities, their market is now growing rapidly worldwide. They are usually marketed in a whole‐piece format or sliced in vacuum‐packed trays, but both of these formats present problems for the consumer (difficulty of slicing the whole piece, loss of sensory properties once the vacuum‐packed tray is opened …). This paper uses conjoint analysis to examine a new packaging format (called “slice slab”) for dry‐cured meat products that aims to overcome these problems. The product selected for analysis was Iberian dry‐cured ham, as it is the most frequently consumed Iberian pork product. Data were collected by means of a survey conducted with 320 Spanish consumers from January to May 2010. Overall, the consumers preferred Iberian mast‐fed ham, conventionally sliced and at the lowest price (5 €/100 g). Three well‐defined preference‐based clusters were identified: traditional consumers (n = 114), price‐insensitive consumers (n = 113) and innovative consumers (n = 93). Analysis of the clusters indicated that sliced slab ham may be an interesting alternative for the most innovative consumers, who are willing to pay a premium for this packaging format.Practical ApplicationsThis study has presented a methodological guideline to analyze the importance of packaging in shaping consumers' preferences. In this context, the use of conjoint analysis may have a great potential for testing and evaluating both the acceptance and the economic feasibility of new packaging formats in the food market. Its results can also be used for a preference‐based segmentation, which would allow target markets to be identified in which consumers' willingness‐to‐pay can be evaluated beforehand.The present work may therefore constitute a starting point in the search for new forms of presentation for both cured meat products and other foodstuffs that will be well accepted by the consumer. In particular, it opens the way for further research into sensory analysis in the context of testing and improving in the presentation of new foodstuff formats.

Intellectual capital and relational capital: The role of sustainability in developing corporate reputation

Purpose: Intellectual capital offers a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage and is believed to be the source from which economic growth may sprout. However, not many papers analyze the effect of sustainability in the elements involving intellectual capital. This paper seeks to highlight the key role played by corporate sustainability on corporate reputation as one of the key components of relational capital based on the knowledge-based theory. In order to fulfill this objective we consider economic, social and environmental dimensions of corporate sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Authors develop a structural equation model to test the hypothesis. The study was tested using data collected from a sample of 400 Spanish consumers. Findings: The structural equation model shows that sustainability plays a vital role as antecedent of corporate reputation and relational capital. Findings suggest that economic, social and environmental domains of sustainability have a positive direct effect on corporate reputation. Additionally, this study shows that economic sustainability is considered to be the most important dimension to enhance corporate reputation. Research limitations/implications: Relational capital involves several dimensions which have not been incorporated to this study. Thus, future studies may analyze the role of corporate reputation and sustainability in the formation and development of the different relationships that conform relational capital. Finally, the complicated economic

ARE RETAILERS’ PREFERENCES FOR SEAFOOD ATTRIBUTES PREDICTIVE FOR CONSUMER WANTS? RESULTS FROM A CHOICE EXPERIMENT FOR SEABREAM (Sparus aurata)

Aquaculture production has grown considerably in the southern countries of Europe during the last two decades. This increase in supply has not been matched by an equivalent rise in consumer demand, resulting in price decay. For farmed seabream (Sparus aurata) this article examines which attributes and claims are able to successfully influence Spanish consumers' perceived value of seafood and to which degree consumers and retailers in a traditional fish market differ in their choice reaction to these attributes. A heteroscedastic logit model was used to assess the impact of seafood claims on consumer choice and to test for differences in attribute preferences between retailers and consumers. Results indicate that both consumers and retailers agree in their marginal willingness to pay for wild, over farmed, seabream. However, they differ in the extent to which the disutility from farmed production can be offset by the declaration of domestic origin, sustainability certifications, and presence of health benefits or safety claims. Results suggest an asymmetry between retailer and consumer preferences that might explain why seabream differentiated by claims still struggles to find the desired retail distribution.

Design of more Competitive Products in Natural Stone: What Companies are Offering and what the Market is Looking for

Natural stone is a raw material widely used, especially in the creation of products in construction and architecture. Currently, this sector suffers tough competition from countries with strong trade structures and distribution channels, which should lead us to rethink new design strategies. The objective of this paper is to find out how Portuguese and Spanish companies work and what they offer; but, it also intends to identify what consumers want, showing the most important aspects of design for the development of competitive products. An overview of the stone sector was achieved through a series of personal interviews with the entrepreneurs from companies that participated in the most representative fairs of the Natural Stone industry in Portugal (PEDRA, Batalha) and Spain (CEVISAMA, Valencia), and through a questionnaire distributed on the internet. A total of 439 valid answers from Portuguese and Spanish consumers were obtained. Companies are rather small and structured in a traditional way. Despite possessing a thorough technical knowledge of the materials, they offer to the market mainly exterior cladding in marble and they do not innovate with new designs and other materials. Consumers demonstrate a broad knowledge of the different types of natural stone and their different applications, expressing a growing interest in the design and creation of new products and new applications. It can be conclude that there is some agreement, but also some differences of opinion, between what is offered and what is wanted. New design products in natural stone that emphasize the resistance, the finishing, the textures and the impermeability of the material will increase competitiveness in the studied markets.

Texture and Semantics: The Conceptual Structure in Consumers' Minds

AbstractConsidering that the memory encoding of perceptual components of our experience involves systems that are associated with the perceptual mechanism, textural terms might be organized in consumers' minds in relation to their perceptual experiences. The aim of this work was to better understand the semantic organization of texture characteristics for Spanish‐speaking consumers, trying to obtain a meaningful word categorization, and to study differences between Spanish and Uruguayan consumers. Fifty‐two Spanish consumers and 47 Uruguayan consumers were asked to sort 37 textural terms according to their own criteria and to write down a few words related to or describing each group. Spanish and Uruguayan consumers categorized the textural terms in the same way, suggesting that they might have developed the same memory structure. Nevertheless, differences were identified in terms of the number of groups used to classify the textural terms and the words used to describe them.Practical ApplicationsUnderstanding the structure of texture vocabulary in consumers' minds could contribute to better describe the texture of food products during product development and the design of marketing and communication strategies. Results from the present work showed that despite cultural differences textural terms were arranged in groups clearly related to food physical structure and the mechanisms underlying their perception.

Effect of materialism on the use of the brand name in purchasing decisions from a cross-cultural perspective

The effect of materialism on consumers’ tendency to use the brand name (TBN) as the main criterion in purchasing decisions is analysed along with how this can change depending on the main socio-demographic variables (sex and age). Data from Russian and Spanish con sumers are analysed in final samples of 321 (Spain) and 375 (Russia). The design is similar to that of an adaptive sample Web method. For purposes of representativeness, both sam ples meet the minimum quotas for gender, age and habitat. The results show that different dimensions of materialism affect TBN in different ways and consumers with a high level of TBN also present a higher level of materialism. Firms could use the differences in how materialism influences the TBN of “new” consumers vs. “experi enced” ones when developing communication and branding strategies or for international segmentation of markets. The paper also contributes to a deeper understanding of the nature of the demand for brand name products.

Efecto del materialismo sobre el uso del nombre de marca en las decisiones de compra desde una perspectiva intercultural

The effect of materialism on consumers’ tendency to use the brand name (TBN) as the main criterion in purchasing decisions is analysed along with how this can change depending on the main socio-demographic variables (sex and age). Data from Russian and Spanish consumers are analysed in final samples of 321 (Spain) and 375 (Russia). The design is similar to that of an adaptive sample Web method. For purposes of representativeness, both samples meet the minimum quotas for gender, age and habitat. The results show that different dimensions of materialism affect TBN in different ways and consumers with a high level of TBN also present a higher level of materialism. Firms could use the differences in how materialism influences the TBN of “new” consumers vs. “experienced” ones when developing communication and branding strategies or for international segmentation of markets. The paper also contributes to a deeper understanding of the nature of the demand for brand name products. Key words: Decision, Brand Name, Materialism, Tendency, Cross-cultural.

Consumer preferences versus commercial differentiation: a Spanish case study

PurposeThis study measures the degree of influence that attributes such as price, organic production, origin and commercial type have on Spanish consumers when purchasing lamb meat, while also analysing various lamb meat differentiation strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology consisted of a survey of 421 Castilla‐La Mancha (Spain) lamb meat consumers during the month of January 2009. The preferences of these consumers were determined through several multivariate techniques.FindingsThe results obtained by means of conjoint analysis techniques show that an additional potential differentiation strategy is to offer the market conventionally produced suckling lamb and organic “ternasco” lamb. Thus, potential commercial cannibalism would be simultaneously prevented between two types of meat belonging to one and the same PGI Manchego Lamb.Originality/valueThe excessive commercial differentiation that can arise in food for basic consumption in general and particularly within the Manchego Lamb PGI. Whether it be from the inclusion of another commercial type (suckling lamb meat) together with the traditional type (“ternasco” lamb meat) and the additional possibility of the organic certification, it can make way for a certain commercial “cannibalism” among PGI lamb meats.

Testing a Spanish-version of the Food Neophobia Scale

Food neophobia has been the subject of many studies over the last two decades in several countries, as it affects both the quality and variety of foods in the diet. Pliner and Hobden (1992) developed and tested a 10-item verbal instrument, the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) to quantify this individual trait. FNS has been widely applied to predict willingness to try new foods. There has been concern about the meaning and interpretation of individual FNS statements in different populations and cultures. Although it is tempting to compare FNS scores across these studies, appropriate psychometric analyses are required to test the scale and allow cross-cultural comparisons. In Spain, there are few studies based on testing the FNS in the Spanish language, as well as its application among the Spanish people. Therefore, the aim of this study is to propose and test a Spanish version of the FNS using different psychometric measures and to study food neophobia among Spanish consumers (N=309).The results showed that the Spanish food neophobia mean value was 31.74 (S.D. 10.98). Gender effect was close to significance (p<0.062) and age effect was significant (p<0.003). Reliability of FNS was assessed, FNS Cronbach’s alpha was 0.82 and item-total correlations for items 9, 3 and 2 ranged from 0.52 to 0.57, showing lower associations of these items to food neophobia scores. PCA results also showed that the Second Principal Component clearly separates reversed (negative correlation) from unreversed items (positive correlation). In fact, the relationship between FNS and willingness to try two unfamiliar foods (aloe vera drink and rice sesame sweet) was confirmed (p<0.05). In conclusion, the proposed Spanish version of the FNS performs properly with Spanish consumers.

Use of nutrition marketing in products advertised on TV in Spain

Nutrition marketing has generated a great amount of consumer interest; however, improper use of this type of marketing could mislead consumers. To describe the frequency and proper use in Spain of nutrition marketing for products advertised on television while analyzing their nutrient profile for comparison. Advertised food and drink products included in the study were selected after watching 80 hours of broadcasting of 4 Spanish television channels during May and June 2008. Upon purchase of the selected items, we estimated the frequency of use of the different nutrition marketing approaches, the proportion of nutritional and health claims meeting European regulations, and the proportion of less healthy products according to the United Kingdom Nutrient Profile Model UKNPM. Of the 88 products examined, 74% used nutrition marketing approaches. Half of the advertisements made nutrition claims and 42% health claims. The majority (89%) of the 83 nutrition claims met European regulations, with the category of "light products" being the least compliant with only 25% of products meeting regulations. Of the 37 product advertisements making health claims, 43% used authorized statements, of which, however, 75% also included unauthorized claims. Nutrient profile was less healthy in 55% of the products resorting to nutrition marketing. Lack of compliance with European regulations regarding nutrition and health claims, combined with the "less healthy" nutrient profile of many of the products marketed using these claims, may mislead Spanish consumers. To avoid this misinformation, it would be beneficial to: a) monitor level of adherence to regulations systematically; and b) introduce the use of nutrient profiles to approve these types of claims.

Cause-related marketing influence on consumer responses: The moderating effect of cause–brand fit

The traditional focus on the study of cause–brand fit in cause-related marketing (CrM) is that it is a mediator variable between consumer perceptions and subsequent responses. However, the literature is not conclusive on this point. This study adopts a new perspective, considering cause–brand fit as a moderator variable rather than a direct antecedent to consumer evaluations of CrM. Thus, the main objective of this research is to examine the moderator role of cause–brand fit in the influence of two corporate associations elicited in CrM (corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate ability (CA) associations) on brand attitude and two behavioural consumer responses (purchase intent and support to non-profit organisation (NPO)). For this, a theoretical model is proposed, and it is estimated with a sample of 595 Spanish consumers of insurance and personal hygiene and toiletries products. Results show that when consumers perceive high social cause–brand fit, the positive influence of CSR associations on the formation of brand attitude is amplified. However, when cause–brand fit is low, brand attitude is formed via CA associations. Finally, consumer behavioural responses in favour of the brand (i.e. purchase intent) and social cause (i.e. support to NPO) are reinforced in a context of high cause–brand perceived fit.