Evaluating cause‐marketing campaigns in the Indian corporate landscape: The role of consumer skepticism and consumer attributions of firm's motive

Abstract

More and more business organizations are engaging in social initiatives to make a positive contribution to society. Cause marketing, such as CSR, is one of the many ways that firms can manifest social responsibility by pitching‐in where government solutions are few or takes time in implementation, and it is the only type that calls for consumer participation. Because customer participation is imperative for the success of the campaign, it must be designed to connect with consumers while also making them feel that corporate efforts are authentic and truly helping the cause and not exploitative of the social cause. Using fictitious brand, cause‐marketing campaigns were designed, and two studies were conducted to analyze the relationship between cause involvement, consumer attributions on firm's motive, and consumer attitudes towards cause campaigns, and if and how the relationship differs when consumer skepticism towards cause claims existed. Multivariate analysis performed for hypotheses testing suggests that cause involvement influenced campaign attitudes and the relationship was mediated by consumer attributions of firm's motive, and consumer skepticism towards cause campaigns affected the relationship.

CSR motives on situational scepticism towards luxury brands

“…(2) Egoistic-driven motives are perceived by consumers as the company is exploitative rather than supportive of the cause (Vlachos et al, 2009). Consumers believe causeexploitative companies are opportunistic with excessive intentions to profiteer from the CSR engagement and have relative disregard for the cause (Ratnakaran and Edward, 2019). These intentions are viewed as unethical, failing to benefit the social cause because the company is too invested in its own interest (Foreh and Grier, 2003).…”

Impact of cause-affinity and CSR fit on consumer purchase intention

“…A later study by Narwal and Sharma (2008) in Haryana, a northern state in India, contradicted the earlier finding and concluded that the skepticism of Indian consumers has given way to objectivity and businesses were no longer are perceived to be selfish. More recently, Ratnakaran and Edward (2019) proved the importance of consumer attributions of a firm’s motives for CSR implementation campaigns among Indian consumers. However, there is a lack of recent studies after the enactment of the CSR law probing consumer skepticism in India.…”

Examining the moderating role of principle-based entity of luxury brands and its effects on perceived CSR motives, consumer situational scepticism and brand resonance

“…Egoistic-driven motives are perceived by consumers as exploitative rather than supportive of the cause (Ellen et al, 2006;Vlachos et al, 2009). Consumers believe cause-exploitative companies are opportunistic with excessive intentions to profiteer from the CSR engagement and have relative disregard for the cause (Ratnakaran and Edward, 2019). These intentions are viewed as unethical, failing to benefit the social cause because the company is too invested in its own interest (Foreh and Grier, 2003;Vlachos et al, 2009).…”