The Role of Collectivism on Positive Word-of-Mouth Persuasion in Cause-Related Marketing

Author(s):  
Michael Christofi ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Anna Makrides
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-78
Author(s):  
Meenakshi Handa ◽  
Shruti Gupta

Purpose With the rising concern for the planet and people dimensions of the triple-bottom-line, an increasing number of firms are using cause-related marketing (CRM) to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders. With growing internet and social media access the Indian consumer is being invited to participate in such campaigns through digital platforms. The purpose of the present study is to examine consumer perceptions about select digital CRM campaigns in terms of perceived fit between the brand and the cause being promoted and the extent of participation effort required by the campaign and further to investigate the relationship between these two variables and consumers’ intentions to participate in the campaign, engage in positive word-of-mouth about it and their brand purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach Six online CRM campaigns in the consumer products space were taken up for study. Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire in an online mode, which provided an advertisement snapshot and a brief description of each CRM campaign. Items to measure variables under examination were adapted from the extant literature. Three versions of the questionnaire were created, with each version involving two of the six campaigns. Thus, each respondent was responding to items pertaining to two campaigns only. A total of 242 responses were collected, using non-probability sampling. Findings The study indicates overall positive responses to the digital CRM campaigns included in the study. It finds that for the online CRM campaigns taken up for examination, respondents perceive a high extent of brand-cause fit. A fit between the cause being promoted and the brand’s sphere of activity is a factor that needs to be considered for its impact on consumer willingness to participate in the campaign and intention to engage in positive word-of-mouth about it. The study does not indicate a significant relationship between participation effort for online campaigns and consumer behavioural intentions. Consumer participation intentions and word-of-mouth intentions are found to be positively related to intentions to purchase the brand associated with the campaign. Practical implications In their efforts to design effective CRM campaigns, marketers should use creativity in looking for a common thread, which ties their business or brand with the cause being promoted. Consumers tend to perceive this congruence between the cause and the brand and this impacts their behavioural responses. It is possible that the fact that consumers are not required to make a purchase but are being invited to support a cause by performing a non-transaction-based activity, may also underlie their positive response to this genre of CRM activities. The study provides an understanding of factors that contribute to the effectiveness of non-purchase-based online CRM campaigns in garnering consumer engagement with the campaign and the brand. Originality/value The results provide important insights regarding non-transaction based digital CRM campaigns and the relationship between brand-cause fit, perceived participation effort and targeted changes in consumers’ behavioural intentions. Online CRM campaigns involving consumer participation in forms other than brand purchase are an emerging area of effort towards customer engagement and thus warrant further investigation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Gohary ◽  
Hamid Alizadeh ◽  
Kambiz Heidarzadeh Hanzaee

Purpose – Suggestion systems have always been used as the means of continuous development and co-creating values among the employees of organizations. On the other hand, the co-creation has been introduced as a solution to co-create values between companies and customers. Since a simultaneous study on setting up suggestion systems and co-creation among employees and customers have been ignored so far, the purpose of this paper, focussing on the combination of two strategies of suggestion systems (generally more effective among the employees of organizations) and co-creation (studied so far merely the scope of customers), is to evaluate variables leading to intention to use, improvement in understanding the concept of justice, and positive word-of-mouth. Design/methodology/approach – Two between-subjects experiments were carried out to explore the interactional role of co-creation, reward, and time in efficiency of suggestion systems. The first study which was carried out among customers analyzed the effect of setting up suggestion systems along with co-creation on the amount of their intention to use this system in the future and positive word-of-mouth. The second study discussed the effect of setting up suggestion systems along with co-creation on the level of understanding organizational justice and commitment. Findings – The results indicate that the effectiveness of co-creation and tangible factors, such as offered reward, on improving the evaluation of suggestion system. In the other word, when firm’s encourage customers to participate in value co-creation program in suggestion system, they perceive more justice and intend to participate more in such program in future. Originality/value – Most of the previous studies carried out on co-creation considered its effectiveness on occasions when a service failure occurs to consumers and the service provider urgently needs service recovery, but this paper aimed to provide a collaborative perspective toward co-creation through suggestion system that puts emphasis on service experience, innovation, and intention to future participation in such programs.


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