Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Benefits of cause-related marketing for companies and nonprofits: focusing on the roles of self-corporate congruity and issue involvement

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This experimental study aims to examine how cause-related marketing (CRM) can bring a win-win outcome to a company and its nonprofit partner. Specifically, this study investigates the extent to which consumers perceive image-congruity between self and corporation (self-corporate congruity) plays a key role in achieving business and social gains in the domain of CRM. The finding demonstrates that self-corporate congruity positively affects consumer intentions to not only buy the cause-related products, but also support the cause-related issues. Further, it shows that issue-supporting intentions partially mediate the effect of self-corporate congruity on product-buying intentions, and this mediating role is also moderated by the degree of issue involvement. That is, when consumers have low involvement in cause-related issues, self-corporate congruity positively influences product-buying intentions through a psychological mediator of issue-supporting intentions. However, this event disappears when consumers have high involvement in the issues. Theoretical and practical implications for companies, nonprofits, and consumer researchers are discussed with specific reference to CRM.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beerli, A., Diaz, G., & Martin, J. D. (2004). The behavioral consequences of self-congruency in volunteers. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 9(1), 28–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergkvist, L., & Zhou, K. O. (2019). Cause-related marketing persuasion research: An integrated frame for future research. International Journal of Advertising, 38(1), 5–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2004). Doing better at doing good: When, why, and how consumers respond to corporate social initiatives. California Management Review, 47(1), 9–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigne-Alcaniz, E., Curras-Perez, R., Ruiz-Mafe, C., & Sanz-Blas, S. (2010). Consumer behavioral intentions in cause-related marketing: The role of identification and social cause involvement. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 7(2), 127–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaiken, S. (1980). Heuristic versus systematic information processing and the use of source versus message cues in persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(5), 752–766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, C.-T., & Chu, X.-Y. (2019). The give and take of cause-related marketing: Purchasing cause-related products licenses consumer indulgence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48, 203–221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00675-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, S. M., & Rifon, N. (2012). It’s a match: The impact of congruence between celebrity image and consumer ideal self on endorsement effectiveness. Psychology & Marketing, 29, 639–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das, N., Guha, A., Biswas, A., & Krishnan, B. (2016). How product-cause fit and donation quantifier interact in cause-related marketing setting: Evidence of the cue congruency effect. Marketing Letters, 27(2), 295–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dean, D. H. (2003). Consumer perception of corporate donations: Effects of company reputation for social responsibility and type of donation. Journal of Advertising., 32(4), 91–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzsimons, G. J. (2008). Editorial: Death to dichotomizing. Journal of Consumer Research, 35, 5–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grau, S. L., & Folse, J. A. G. (2007). Cause-related marketing (CRM): The influence of donation proximity framing cues on the less-involved consumer. Journal of Advertising, 36, 19–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guido, G., & Peluso, A. M. (2015). Brand anthropomorphism: Conceptualization, measurement, and impact on brand personality and loyalty. Journal of Brand Management, 22, 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S., & Pirsch, J. (2006). The company-cause-customer fit decision in cause-related marketing. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 23(6), 314–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hajjat, M. M. (2003). Effects of cause-related marketing on attitudes and purchase intentions: The moderating role of cause involvement and donation size. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 11(1), 93–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeong, H. J., & Lee, M. (2013). The effect of online media platforms on joining causes: The impression management perspective. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 57(4), 439–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johar, S. J., & Sirgy, J. M. (1991). Value-expressive versus utilitarian advertising appeals: When and why to use which appeal. Journal of Advertising, 20(3), 23–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Susan Komen (n.d.). Learn more about those who do more. Available on https://ww5.komen.org/Partner_Landing/.

  • Lafferty, B. A. (2009). Selecting the right cause partners for the right reasons: The role importance and fit in cause-brand alliance. Psychology & Marketing, 26(4), 359–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lafferty, B. A., Lueth, A. K., & McCafferty, R. (2016). An evolutionary process model of cause-related marketing and systematic review of the empirical literature. Psychology & Marketing, 33(11), 951–970.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenstein, D. R., Drumwright, M. E., & Braig, B. M. (2004). The effect of corporate social responsibility on customer donation to corporate-supported nonprofits. Journal of Marketing, 68(4), 16–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Litman (2018). Concerns about bots on mechanical Turk: Problems and solutions. TurkPrime. Available at https://blog.turkprime.com/concerns-about-bots-on-mechanical-turk-problems-and-solutions (Retrieved on March 1, 2019).

  • MacKenzie, S. B., & Spreng, R. A. (1992). How does motivation moderate the impact of central and peripheral processing on brand attitudes and intentions? Journal of Consumer Research, 18(4), 519–529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mittal, B. (1995). A comparative analysis of four scales of consumer involvement. Psychology & Marketing, 12(7), 663–682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nan, X., & Heo, K. (2007). Consumer responses to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives: Examining the role of brand-cause fit in cause-related marketing. Journal of Advertising., 36(2), 63–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patal, J. D., Gadhavi, D. D., & Shukla, Y. S. (2017). Consumers’ responses to cause related marketing: Moderating influence of cause involvement and skepticism on attitude and purchase intention. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing., 12(1), 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peloza, J., & Shang, J. (2011). How can corporate social responsibility activities create value for stakeholders? A systematic review. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(1), 117–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. In Communication and persuasion. Springer series in social psychology. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petty, R. E., Priester, J. R., & Brinol, P. (2008). Mass media attitude change: Implications of the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. In J. Bryant & D. Zilmann (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research. New York: NY, Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polonsky, M. J., & Wood, G. (2001). Can the overcommercialization of cause-related marketing harm society? Journal of Macromarketing, 21(1), 8–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quester, P. G., Plewa, C., Palmer, K., & Mazodier, M. (2013). Determinants of community-based sponsorship impact on self-congruity. Psychology and Marketing, 30(11), 996–1007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randle, M., & Dolnicar, S. (2011). Self-congruity and volunteering: A multi-organization comparison. European Journal of Marketing, 45(5), 739–758.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Runté, M., Basil, D., & Deshpande, S. (2009). Cause-related marketing from the nonprofit’s perspective: Classifying goals and experienced outcomes. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 21(3), 255–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, S., Du, S., & Bhattacharya, C. B. (2016). Corporate social responsibility: A consumer psychology perspective. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, 70–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J. (1982). Self-concept in consumer behavior: A critical review. Journal of Consumer Research, 9(3), 287–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J., Grewal, D., Mangleburg, T. F., Park, J., Chon, K.-S., Claiborne, C. B., Johar, J. S., & Berkman, H. (1997). Assessing the predictive validity of two methods of measuring self image congruence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 25, 229–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J., Lee, D., Johar, J. S., & Tidwell, J. (2008). Effect of self-congruity with sponsorship on brand loyalty. Journal of Business Research, 61(10), 1091–1097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Brink, D., Odekerken-Schroder, G., & Pauwels, P. (2006). The effect of strategic and tactical cause-related marketing on consumers’ brand loyalty. Journal of Consumer Marketing., 23(1), 15–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varadarajan, P. R., & Menon, A. (1988). Cause-related marketing: A coalignment of marketing strategy and corporate philanthropy. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 58–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoon, S., & Kim, H. (2018). Temporal duration and attribution process of cause-related marketing: Moderating roles of self-construal and product involvement. International Journal of Advertising, 37(2), 217–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrated Strategic Communication, College of Communication and Information, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA

    Hyun Ju Jeong & Jihye Kim

Authors
  1. Hyun Ju Jeong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jihye Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hyun Ju Jeong.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

CRM Campaign Examples

figure a

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jeong, H.J., Kim, J. Benefits of cause-related marketing for companies and nonprofits: focusing on the roles of self-corporate congruity and issue involvement. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 17, 317–330 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-020-00247-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-020-00247-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation