Feeling Connected to the Cause: The Role of Perceived Social Distance on Cause Involvement and Consumer Response to CSR Communication

2021 ◽  
pp. 107769902110415
Author(s):  
Yujin Heo ◽  
Chang-Won Choi ◽  
Holly Overton ◽  
Joon K. Kim ◽  
Nanlan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Distance ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Consumer Response ◽  
Consumer Evaluations ◽  
Message Type ◽  
Campaign Messages ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Cause Involvement ◽  
Corporate Social

Despite the importance of companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to support the issue of empowering women, little is known about which communication strategies are effective for a successful CSR initiative. This research investigated how CSR messages influences consumer evaluations of a CSR activity supporting women’s empowerment via consumers’ cause involvement by conducting two experimental studies. In Study 1, a 2 (CSR message type: in-group vs. out-group) × 2 (gender: female vs. male) online factorial experiment ( n = 140) was employed. The results indicate that consumers evaluated the CSR activity more positively when they were exposed to an in-group message than an out-group message. To increase the validity and explain the process by which CSR message types influence consumer evaluations of a CSR activity, Study 2 was conducted. Psychological distance manipulated by CSR campaign messages increased an individual’s level of cause involvement, which in turn influenced the individuals’ response to the CSR activities. Implications are discussed.

Emotional Cues’ Effects on Grotesque Advertising

2021 ◽  
pp. 183933492110563
Author(s):  
Argho Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Felix Septianto ◽  
Kaushalya Nallaperuma ◽  
Bodo Lang
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Perceived Fit ◽  
Consumer Evaluations ◽  
Emotional Cues ◽  
Ancillary Study ◽  
Advertising Strategies ◽  
Effective Advertising ◽  
Moderating Role

A growing literature is examining the potential of grotesque advertising. The aim of this study is to examine whether curiosity or boredom cues in a grotesque advertisement are more effective at enhancing brand attitude and how this effect is moderated by consumers’ construal level. Across three experimental studies, this research shows that a curiosity cue will be more effective among consumers with a high construal level, whereas a boredom cue will be more effective among consumers with a low construal level (Study 1 and an ancillary study, Study 2). Further, perceived fit (based on construal level) mediates these effects (Study 2). This study thus offers a fresh theoretical viewpoint on the efficacy of emotional advertising cues in enhancing consumer evaluations of grotesque advertising by investigating the moderating role of consumers’ construal level. These findings benefit marketers in developing effective advertising strategies featuring grotesque imagery.

scholarly journals Examining How Companies’ Support of Tourist Attractions Affects Visiting Intentions: The Mediating Role of Perceived Authenticity

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 811-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Biraglia ◽  
Maximilian H.E.E. Gerrath ◽  
Bryan Usrey
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Tourist Attraction ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Naming Rights ◽  
Corporate Social

As public funding for the restoration of tourist attractions decreases, assistance is often sought from the private sector in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, research has yet to understand how such CSR activities impact the beneficiary, namely tourist attractions. Thus, extending past CSR literature, we explore whether differing company CSR motivations can influence a tourists’ visiting intentions. The results of two experimental studies show low company altruism (e.g., demanding to acquire naming rights of the site), compared to high company altruism (e.g., demanding nothing in return), decreases visiting intentions. Furthermore, we show that perceived authenticity of the site mediates this effect. Finally, we find the negative effect of low altruistic CSR is mitigated in the case of no heritage. Based on the results, we show tourist attraction managers should be wary of companies displaying nonaltruistic intentions, as such activity may have harmful consequences.

The Expression of Anger Enhances Perceived Competence Following Corporate Social Irresponsibility

2021 ◽  
pp. 183933492199888
Author(s):  
Felix Septianto
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Perceived Competence ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Corporate Social Irresponsibility ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Practical Implications

Although prior research acknowledges the significant role of emotions in response to corporate social irresponsibility (CSI), such research typically examines emotions as mediators that explain how consumers respond to CSI. The present research tests a novel perspective by examining how the expression of anger (vs. sadness) in a company’s apology can influence consumer responses following CSI. Across two experimental studies in different CSI contexts, this research demonstrates that a company’s expression of anger (vs. sadness) enhances consumers’ perceived competence of the company, leading to higher purchase intentions. Furthermore, consumers’ mindset acts as a boundary condition such that the effect is attenuated among consumers with a growth (but not fixed) mindset. Thus, the findings of these studies have important theoretical and practical implications for the CSI literature.

scholarly journals Green branding effects on consumer response: examining a brand stereotype-based mechanism

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siyu Gong ◽  
Guanghua Sheng ◽  
Peter Peverelli ◽  
Jialin Dai
Keyword(s):  
Brand Management ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Consumer Response ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Brand Positioning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose This study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework to investigate how green brand positioning strategies positively impact consumer response. It focusses on uncovering the causal mechanism in which such effect is mediated by brand stereotypes. Additionally, it outlines the moderating role of construal level in this formation process. Design/methodology/approach Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the hypotheses. Study 1 tests the positive influence of green brand positioning on consumer response. Study 2 tests the dual mediating effect of warmth and competence in the relationship between green brand positioning and consumer response. Study 3 further examines the moderating role of construal level in the effects of green brand positioning on brand stereotypes. Findings The findings reveal that green emotional positioning strategies are predominantly stereotyped as warm while green functional positioning strategies are predominantly stereotyped as competent. Both warm and competent mediate the effects of green brand positioning on consumer response. Furthermore, a congruency between green emotional positioning and high-level construal, as well as the match between green functional positioning and low-level construal, leads to more warmth and competence perception. Originality/value This study contributes to green brand management literature by proposing a brand stereotype-based mechanism to explain how green brand positioning strategies trigger consumers’ stereotyping process, leading to positive consumer response. This study also identifies the construal level as a moderating variable that impacts consumers’ warmth and competence perceptions towards two kinds of green brand positioning strategies. Managerially, the findings of this study provide managerial ideas for developing green branding strategies.

scholarly journals Brand’s CSR Influence on Consumers’ Prosocial Behavior in Unrelated Domains

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-149
Author(s):  
Angela Negrão ◽  
Danielle Mantovani ◽  
Lucas Magalhães De Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Social Outcomes ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Social Cause ◽  
The One ◽  
Corporate Social

This study proposes that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity may positively influence consumers prosocial behavior. However, this effect is moderated by the consumer-brand social distance. In two experiments, we show that consumers close to the brand become more prosocial in situations unrelated to the cause supported by the company when they are exposed to the brands prosocial communication, compared to those who are distant from the brand. This paper contributes to furthering CSR theory by showing the positive effects of brand CSR initiatives on secondary social outcomes, such as consumers volunteering and donating money to a social cause not closely related to the one promoted by the company. Besides, this paper also contributes theoretically by showing the moderation role played by consumer-brand social distance. Important implications for the role of CSR are useful for companies and society in general, since the paper demonstrates that brands prosocial behavior can influence consumers prosocial behavior beyond the brand context only.

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