Enhancing the Effectiveness of Cause-Related Marketing: Visual Style, Self-Construal, and Consumer Responses

Abstract

The visual presentation of cause-related marketing (CRM) messages is gaining increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. This study delves into the impact of the visual style of CRM messages on consumer responses and the moderating role of self-construal. The results demonstrate that visual style has a significant effect on consumer responses, as cause-focused messages engender a higher brand attitude and purchase intention than product-focused messages (Studies 1 and 2). Meanwhile, the effects of visual style on both consumers’ brand attitude and purchase intention are mediated by the perceived self-serving motives. Importantly, self-construal moderates the relationship between visual style and consumer responses (Study 2). Cause-focused messages lead to enhanced brand attitudes and purchase intentions than product-focused messages by reducing the perceived self-serving motives for consumers with an interdependent self-construal, although not for consumers with an independent self-construal. Grounded in these findings, the theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Peculiarities of sensory marketing

“…According to Maulidiyanti et al (2022), the results also show that social campaign products cannot be just an idea but must be supported by tangible products to be effective. Fu et al (2023) analysed that the results show that visual style significantly influences consumer responses, with cause-oriented messages leading to higher brand attitudes and purchase intention than product-oriented messages. Meanwhile, the effect of visual style on both consumers' brand attitudes and purchase intentions is determined by perceived self-service motives.…”