Sincerity or ploy? An investigation of corporate social responsibility campaigns

Abstract

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns have become increasingly popular among fashion apparel brands to reduce environmental impacts of their operations and position themselves as sustainable. In light of attribution theory, this paper aims to investigate how aspects of a CSR campaign affect consumers’ perceptions of brand authenticity, brand attitudes and CSR attitudes. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on a 2 (brand image: sustainable vs disposable brand) × 2 (message source: brand website vs news article) between-subjects experimental design with random assignment to conditions and manipulation checks. Findings When exposed to messages about CSR campaigns, consumers have more favorable perceptions of brand authenticity, brand attitudes and CSR attitudes for a sustainable brand than for a disposable brand, particularly when consumers view information about a CSR campaign on the brand’s website. However, this is not true for disposable brands when CSR campaigns are promoted through a news source. Practical implications Sustainable brands can derive benefits by strategically partnering with causes through CSR campaigns, particularly when their campaigns are promoted through their brand’s website (vs news source). However, brands that offer disposable products (e.g. fast fashion brands) should exercise caution when implementing these campaigns; CSR campaigns may confuse customers as they do not align with the everyday practices of disposable brands. Originality/value As the apparel industry faces increased scrutiny for negative impacts on the environment, this study helps to understand whether customers perceive CSR campaigns as trustworthy and authentic, or as ploys aimed at creating more positive brand images.

When brands take a stand: the nature of consumers’ polarized reactions to social narrative videos

“…Viewers begin to detach from the story and the intended social meaning becomes diluted. An implication for activating persuasive intent is that consumers may consider the brand’s motivation (Childs et al , 2019). A potential risk is that consumers connect the product to the social issue.…”

“…In other words, consumers may infer that the brand can solve the problem, an interpretation some consumers had of the Pepsi social narrative video. If consumers perceive that the brand is leveraging the social message for its own gain, they may develop negative attitudes toward the brand (Childs et al , 2019). Subtle product placement may help to weaken that connection.…”

The origin of the country-of-origin image: the role of law

“…By contrast, the present study argues that negative country image regarding to product quality result from weak legal institutions and low levels of firm trustworthiness. Therefore, we are able to suggest strategies to improve country image, which include reinforcing the rule of law and the efficiency of judicial systems, promoting firm trustworthiness and punishing firm dishonesty (Su and Tong, 2015;Menidjel et al, 2017), as well as directing firms toward stakeholders' well-being (Guzmán and Davis, 2017;Veloutsou and Guzmán, 2017;Childs et al, 2019;Muniz et al, 2019). These perspectives and strategies complement not only literature on country-of-origin image but also recent research on nation and place branding (Papadopoulos et al, 2016;Papadopoulos et al, 2018;Pedeliento and Kavaratzis, 2019;Wang, 2019).…”

Global fashion retailers’ responses to external and internal crises during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…As these firm characteristics can influence their CSR capabilities and approaches (Shirodkar et al, 2018 ), this similarity provides a fair base for the analysis and comparison of their responses. Finally, these retailers share the characteristics of fast fashion retailers (although Uniqlo offers a relatively less trend-oriented product assortment, the brand still shares the similar price points and store format with the other two), which have been confronted with controversy and skepticism recently regarding their social responsibilities (Childs et al, 2019 ). Although they have actively pursued CSR through being recognized by an award (Hughes, 2020 ), some consumers and researchers still assess their sincerity critically.…”