scholarly journals Brand prominence in cause-related marketing: luxury versus non-luxury

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 716-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Baghi ◽  
Veronica Gabrielli

Purpose Past research on cause-related marketing (CRM) suggests that these socially beneficial initiatives can be implemented as co-branding strategies. Little is known, however, about the role of brand prominence, in terms of visual conspicuousness of the two brands that are partner-involved (for-profit and non-profit brands). This study aims to advance a model of moderated mediation that explains how and under what circumstances brand prominence disparity enhances consumers’ attitudes toward CRM co-branded products and increases purchase intention Design/methodology/approach The authors test a model of moderated mediation in two studies. Study 1 shows that the effectiveness of brand prominence disparity is explained by the mediating role of attitude toward a CRM co-branded product. Study 2 demonstrates that this mediation is moderated by the positioning of the for-profit brand partner (luxury vs non-luxury positioning). Findings Results show that brand prominence disparity has a role in defining consumers’ purchase intention toward a CRM co-branded product through mediation of attitude. Moreover, positioning of the for-profit brand partner moderates the cognitive processes activated by the visual brand prominence. In luxury positioning, a loud visual prominence of the for-profit brand significantly improves consumers’ attitudes and intentions to buy the CRM co-branded product. Originality/value The study extends our understanding of how visual brand presence can promote the effectiveness of co-branded CRM initiatives, and it offers practical guidelines for marketers wishing to partner with social causes, while promoting products with luxury or non-luxury features.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Aggarwal ◽  
Vinod Kumar Singh

PurposeCause-related marketing (CrM) through social campaigns is becoming one of the main strategic marketing tools for large businesses. The purpose of this study is to find out the significance of CrM for start-ups and to evaluate the moderating role of cause involvement of consumer on the impact of CrM campaigns on purchase intention of consumers.Design/methodology/approachBoth structural equation modelling and hierarchical analysis were used to evaluate the responses of 1,425 male and female consumers in India towards CrM campaign.FindingsThe results revealed that the effect of CrM campaigns on purchase intention of consumers is significantly moderated by consumers’ cause involvement. Thus, companies must extend support to causes having high consumer involvement.Research limitations/implicationsBased on their findings, the authors suggest finding out the effects of CrM on the long-term sustainability of the start-ups in more detail, especially in developing countries like India. The scope of this study is one country-based; thus, research findings may not be generalised.Practical implicationsSmall businesses that are able to understand the needs of their own communities and recognise that through their efforts they can bring large impact on social issues and will see success through their socially responsible mindset. Society today needs businesses to support good causes. The best model of CrM, especially for start-ups, is the one in which while making a payment for a service or purchasing a product, the consumer is asked to make an additional payment for the social cause.Social implicationsSociety today needs businesses to support good causes. CrM campaigns provide consumers a chance to help the less fortunate and do so in regular and convenient ways. The study indicates the importance of both corporate citizenship and social responsibility among small businesses.Originality/valueWhile the current results show that the majority of studies were based on large business, this paper shows that the CrM can be useful for start-ups, medium and small businesses also. The suggested model can be an innovative way to implement CrM without incurring any additional cost. The conclusions confirm within a wider context the role of cause involvement as a moderator of the purchase intention and can further assist start-ups and small-scale companies in designing better targeted CrM campaigns benefiting the society at large.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 653-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Baghi ◽  
Veronica Gabrielli

Purpose Previous research on brand crisis has introduced the difference between a values-related crisis and a performance-related crisis. However, little remains known regarding consumers’ varying negative responses towards these two different types of brand misconduct. This paper aims to investigate and compare consumers’ affective and behavioural negative reactions (i.e. negative word of mouth and purchase intention) towards a faulty brand during a values-related crisis and a performance-related crisis by testing the mediation of negative emotions and introducing the moderating role of cultural belongingness (collectivistic vs individualistic). Design/methodology/approach The authors tested a model of moderated mediation in a cross-cultural investigation on a sample of 229 Italian and Asian consumers. The study is a 2 (cultures: collectivistic vs individualistic) × 2 (crisis: performance-related vs values-related) between-subjects experimental design. The moderated mediation model shows that consumers’ negative reactions (negative word of mouth and negative purchase intention) towards a faulty brand involved in different crisis typologies is explained by the mediating role of negative emotions, and that this mediation depends on a consumer’s cultural belongingness. Findings The results suggest that consumers belonging to a collectivistic culture (e.g. Asian culture) tend to react in a more severe and strict manner when faced with a values-related brand crisis event then when faced with a performance-related crisis. The arousal of negative emotion towards a brand represents the mediating variable in behavioural responses (i.e. negative word of mouth and purchase intention). Originality/value The present study extends current knowledge in the field of consumers’ negative response to brand irresponsibility behaviours while introducing the role of crisis typology and cultural belongingness. In particular, individualistic people are more sensitive to a values-related crisis in comparison with a performance-related one. The findings of this study have strong managerial implications for defining effective response strategies to negative events involving brands in different markets.


2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 603-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Alexandre de Oliveira Duarte ◽  
Susana Costa e Silva

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend prior research on the influence of consumer-cause identification on the intention to purchase products from the companies supporting the cause and re-evaluates the role of attitude toward the cause as a mediator of the relationship between identification and intention to purchase. Design/methodology/approach Using a questionnaire, a sample of 156 Portuguese consumers evaluated their personal identification and attitude to one of four causes. Partial least squares path modeling was used to evaluate the proposed conceptual model. Findings The results reveal that more than identification, a positive attitude is vital to be able to predict the intention to purchase. Together, consumer-cause identification and attitude explain 35.1 percent of the variance in purchase intention. The findings show also that attitude acts as a mediator in the relationship between the identification with the cause and intention to purchase. Several differences regarding gender and age are also revealed. Originality/value While the majority of studies were single cause evaluations, the current results are based on the assessment of multiple causes. Consequently, the findings are more comprehensive and robust, providing important insights to researchers. The conclusions confirm within a wider context the role of attitude as a mediator of the identification and intention to purchase and can further assist companies in designing better targeted cause-related marketing campaigns.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 2030-2053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Baghi ◽  
Paolo Antonetti

Purpose Past research on cause-related marketing (CRM) suggests that these socially beneficial initiatives are more effective when linked with hedonic than utilitarian products. Little is known, however, about the process underpinning this effect. This paper aims to investigate why and under what circumstances CRM enhances the appeal of hedonic products by testing the mediation of guilt and introducing the moderating role of cause-product fit. Design/methodology/approach The authors test a model of moderated mediation in two studies. Study 1 shows that the effectiveness of combining CRM with hedonic consumption is explained by the mediating role of feelings of guilt. Study 2 demonstrates that this mediation depends on the level of fit or congruency between the cause and the product. Findings Results suggest that CRM campaigns offer the opportunity to improve the consumption experiences of hedonic products by reducing the feelings of guilt intrinsically connected with these options. Moreover, fit moderates the emotional processes activated by CRM initiatives. When fit is high, CRM reduces guilt and improves consumers’ experiences when purchasing hedonic alternatives. Originality/value The study extends current understanding of how CRM can promote hedonic consumption and contributes further to research on guilt as an emotion able to promote responsible consumption decisions. Moreover, the study introduces and tests the impact of cause-product fit in predicting consumers’ ethical purchase intention. For managers of hedonic brands, the study offers important implications on how to deploy CRM campaigns to foster better customer experiences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-246
Author(s):  
Mazen Jaber ◽  
Kylie Jaber

Purpose Cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns have become common features of the marketplace. CRM often involves a for-profit business agreeing to contribute a specified amount to a cause when the business’s customers engage in revenue-generating exchanges. Despite the central role that price is likely to play in a consumer’s decision to purchase or not to purchase an offer associated with a CRM campaign, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, very few have examined price framing effects in a CRM context. This paper aims to explore the effect of rightmost digits manipulation in prices on participation intentions for CRM campaigns. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, 241 college students participated in an online experiment for class credit. The experiment used a 3 (price level: low, medium and high) × 2 (price ending: 99 ending and no ending) between-subjects design. The dependent variable was participation intention, and several moderators and mediators were considered. PROCESS was used to test the moderated mediation. In Study 2, 351 subjects participated in an online experiment with a design similar to the earlier study. In Study 2, however, new mediators were added and the moderated mediation was tested using SPSS PROCESS macro. Findings This research shows that price ending impacts the effectiveness of CRM as a tactic on consumers’ purchase intentions. Consistent with the authors’ prediction, this study shows that consumers exposed to a 99-ending CRM offer are more likely to participate in the offer compared to consumers exposed to a no-ending priced offer. Offer attractiveness, elaboration and corporate social responsibility were also shown to have a strong effect on participation intentions. Practical implications This research indicates that for moderately priced products, 99-ending prices led to an increased influence on consumer purchase intentions; on the other hand, no-ending/even-ending prices were more effective for high-priced products. Thus, the use of the right digit effect by managers in a CRM context as way of increasing consumers’ participation likelihood is likely to be more successful for moderately priced offers. Originality/value This research extends previous work on CRM and right digit effect in pricing. This study’s findings, in both Studies 1 and 2, demonstrate that the effectiveness of CRM campaigns on consumer choice is dependent on the offer price ending. Consumers exposed to the no-ending priced CRM offers tend to be affected less by CRM campaigns compared to consumers exposed to 99-ending offers, who perceive the offer as more attractive.


2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 376-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Ahmed Shah ◽  
Muhammad Yasir ◽  
Abdul Majid ◽  
Muhammad Yasir ◽  
Asad Javed

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which strategic orientation (SO) and strategic renewal (SR) could create the possibility for improving strategic performance (SP). The indirect effect of SO was also tested in this study. Furthermore, by using the moderated mediation model, the authors also investigated the moderating role of organizational ambidexterity (OA). Design/methodology/approach The results of this cross-sectional study are based on a survey conducted on 1,430 owner/managers of SMEs. To analyze the relationship among variables, this study used descriptive, correlation and hierarchical multiple regression approach. Findings Results revealed that SO positively affects SR and SP in SMEs. Furthermore, the mediating role of SR between the relationships of SO and SP was also confirmed. Moreover, OA strengthens the connection between SO, SR and SP. Practical implications The current study provides new insights for strategic planning and management by focusing on SO along with its different dimensions. Therefore, it provides new guidelines and a roadmap that would be helpful in achieving the objectives of SP. Originality/value The study makes significant contributions to the extant literature by adding new knowledge about the positive impact of SO on SP. Moreover, with the analysis of mediating role of SR in this relationship, the study has made significant addition to the existing literature on SP. Furthermore, moderated mediation model adds value to the existing body of knowledge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Maureen Schneider

Purpose Scholarship on the contact hypothesis and peacebuilding suggests that contact with marginalized ethnic and racial groups may reduce prejudice and improve opportunities for conflict resolution. Through a study of dual-narrative tours to Israel/Palestine, the purpose of this paper is to address two areas of the debate surrounding this approach to social change. First, past research on the effectiveness of contact-based tourism as a method to change attitudes is inconclusive. Travel to a foreign country has been shown to both improve and worsen tourists’ perceptions of a host population. Second, few scholars have attempted to link contact-based changes in attitudes to activism. Design/methodology/approach Through an analysis of 218 post-tour surveys, this study examines the role of dual-narrative tours in sparking attitude change that may facilitate involvement in peace and justice activism. Surveys were collected from the leading “dual-narrative” tour company in the region, MEJDI. Dual-narrative tours uniquely expose mainstream tourists in Israel/Palestine to Palestinian perspectives that are typically absent from the majority of tours to the region. This case study of dual-narrative tours therefore provides a unique opportunity to address the self-selecting bias, as identified by contact hypothesis and tourism scholars, in order to understand the potential impacts of exposure to marginalized narratives. Findings The findings of this study suggest that while these tours tend to engender increased support for Palestinians over Israelis, their most salient function appears to be the cultivation of empathy for “both sides” of the conflict. Similarly, dual-narrative tours often prompt visitors to understand the conflict to be more complex than they previously thought. In terms of activism, tourists tend to prioritize education-based initiatives in their plans for post-tour political engagement. In addition, a large number of participants articulated commitments to support joint Israeli–Palestinian non-governmental organizations and to try to influence US foreign policy to be more equitable. Originality/value These findings complicate debates within the scholarship on peacebuilding as well as within movements for social justice in Israel/Palestine. While programs that equate Israeli and Palestinian perspectives are often criticized for reinforcing the status quo, dual-narrative tours appear to facilitate nuance and universalism while also shifting tourists toward greater identification with an oppressed population. Together, these findings shed light on the ability of tourism to facilitate positive attitude change about a previously stigmatized racial/ethnic group, as well as the power of contact and exposure to marginalized narratives to inspire peace and justice activism.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Wells

Purpose – There is a widely held stereotypical view that accounting is structured, precise, compliance-driven and repetitive. Drawing on social psychology theory, this paper aims to examine how accountants may contribute to these stereotypical perceptions. Design/methodology/approach – Individual perception data were collected through questionnaires and interviews with accountants from the corporate, public practice and not-for-profit sectors, along with “Chartered Accountants” who no longer work as accountants. Findings – These findings suggest that, contrary to results from an earlier study, the targets of the accounting stereotype contribute to the stereotype formation and maintenance and that increased exposure to accountants may serve only to confirm and reinforce the accounting stereotype. Research limitations/implications – There are a small number of participants in this study, and this limits the ability to generalise the findings. Practical implications – These findings have important implications for the profession in how it communicates and promotes the role of the accountant in society. Failure to address the issues identified may lead the stereotype to become self-fulfilling. This may result in the recruitment of future accountants who lack the required skills and capabilities. This could lead to the loss of non-compliance-related accounting work to other business professionals. Originality/value – This study responds to criticism that little is known about how and why the accounting stereotype is formed and how contact with an accountant may increase stereotypicality. Additionally, this paper proposes a strategy to reduce stereotypicality through contact with accountants.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 561-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Huddleston ◽  
Bridget K. Behe ◽  
Stella Minahan ◽  
R. Thomas Fernandez

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the role that visual measures of attention to product and information and price display signage have on purchase intention. The authors assessed the effect of visual attention to the product, information or price sign on purchase intention, as measured by likelihood to buy. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used eye-tracking technology to collect data from Australian and US garden centre customers, who viewed eight plant displays in which the signs had been altered to show either price or supplemental information (16 images total). The authors compared the role of visual attention to price and information sign, and the role of visual attention to the product when either sign was present on likelihood to buy. Findings – Overall, providing product information on a sign without price elicited higher likelihood to buy than providing a sign with price. The authors found a positive relationship between visual attention to price on the display sign and likelihood to buy, but an inverse relationship between visual attention to information and likelihood to buy. Research limitations/implications – An understanding of the attention-capturing power of merchandise display elements, especially signs, has practical significance. The findings will assist retailers in creating more effective and efficient display signage content, for example, featuring the product information more prominently than the price. The study was conducted on a minimally packaged product, live plants, which may reduce the ability to generalize findings to other product types. Practical implications – The findings will assist retailers in creating more effective and efficient display signage content. The study used only one product category (plants) which may reduce the ability to generalize findings to other product types. Originality/value – The study is one of the first to use eye-tracking in a macro-level, holistic investigation of the attention-capturing value of display signage information and its relationship to likelihood to buy. Researchers, for the first time, now have the ability to empirically test the degree to which attention and decision-making are linked.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijing Zhao ◽  
Shuming Zhao ◽  
Hao Zeng ◽  
Jingyi Bai

PurposeDrawing on identity theory and the symbolic interactionism perspective of identity theory, this study aims to construct a moderated mediation framework to test the effects of perceived overqualification (POQ) on knowledge sharing (KS) through professional identity threat (PIT) and the moderating role of coworkers' help-seeking behavior (CHSB).Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a quantitative multistudy research design with a combination of a scenario experiment (Study 1) and a two-wave field study among 220 supervisor-subordinate dyads at a power company in China. Using analysis of variance, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bootstrapping method, the authors validated the research hypothesis.FindingsIn the scenario experiment study (study 1), the authors find that POQ is positively related to PIT and that CHSB negatively moderates the positive impact of POQ on PIT. The field study (study 2) replicated the above findings and found that PIT mediates the negative effect of POQ on KS. In addition, CHSB negatively moderates the mediating role of PIT between POQ and KS.Originality/valueFirst, the current study extended the nomological network of POQ research by examining its influence on employees' KS. Second, this study empirically investigated the mediating role of PIT, which provided a new explanatory mechanism for the influence of POQ. Finally, this study demonstrates the moderating role of CHSB—a situational factor that has been ignored in previous studies.


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