Cause-Related Marketing and Attitude Toward Corporate Image: An Experimental Study

Abstract

In a world of attention scarcity, cause-related marketing strategies generate a substantially greater impact. The neurophysiological mechanisms that support favorable consumer attitudes toward cause-related marketing messages are, however, rather little understood. This study attempts to comprehend how a marketer may employ cause-related marketing initiatives to improve the company’s reputation as well as how program, company, and product identities affect consumers’ attitude toward the corporate image. Following the classical experimental design, this study uses four stimuli to investigate the effects of cause type and cause category on attitude toward corporate image. The four different stimuli used in this study are exposure to a negative corporate image of a fictitious brand, exposure to a negative corporate image with exposure to cause-related marketing message on Save Amazon Rainforest, exposure to a negative corporate image, and exposure to cause-related marketing message on Educate Homeless Children project, and exposure to a negative corporate image and exposure to cause-related marketing message on feeding the hungry homeless children with a description about the gravity of hunger among the poor homeless children of India. For this study, 1,171 urban Indian consumers were used as the sample. The study suggests that empathy-embedded cause-related marketing communications are characterized by primary need-based humanitarian causes. This study thus validates the mirror neuron hypothesis, which confirms that customer-centricity increases with the degree to which the communication content is similar to that of the respondent. A higher degree of customer-centricity results in a better advertisement attitude, which improves consumer attitude toward the corporate image.

Exploring the Role of Socially Responsible Marketing in Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Organizational Settings

“…This approach involves partnerships with non-profit organizations or charitable initiatives to address pressing social issues, such as poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, or public health campaigns. By associating their brands with meaningful causes, companies not only enhance their corporate reputation but also appeal to socially conscious consumers who prioritize brands that contribute to societal well-being (Sebastian and M.C. 2022).…”

“…In reviewing the literature, it is evident that while numerous studies have explored various aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR), socially responsible marketing (SRM), inclusive marketing, and ethical principles in marketing, a common limitation is the lack of explicit connection between the reported findings and the identified research gaps (Kennedy and Smith 2022;Laczniak and Shultz 2021;Özturan and Grinstein 2022). Many studies present valuable insights into specific facets of these concepts, such as the impact of CSR initiatives on brand reputation or the effectiveness of inclusive advertising in engaging diverse consumer segments (Martin and Burpee 2022;Sebastian and M.C. 2022).…”

Examining the role of cause-related marketing in influencing the purchase intention of Indian customers in the FMCG sector: the role of attitude and cause involvement

“…Individuals' attitudes toward CaRM may change due to differences in learning experiences and behavior across cultures (Santoro et al, 2020). Customers may see these programs positively, viewing them as a way for firms to help charitable groups and have a positive impact on society (Sebastian and MC, 2022). They see cause-related marketing as a way to align the firms they support with their own views, resulting in increased brand loyalty and favorable purchase intent (Chetioui and Lebdaoui, 2022) (Hajjat, 2003;Thamaraiselvan et al, 2017).…”