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Creating successful cause–brand alliances: The role of cause involvement, perceived brand motivations and cause–brand alliance attitude

Journal of Brand Management volume 20, pages 205–217 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Under increasing pressure from consumers to be socially responsible, more brands than ever are engaging in cause–brand alliances. Two challenges facing brands are how to choose a nonprofit partner for the alliance and the impact of the brand's perceived motivations for engaging in the alliance on consumers’ responses to the alliance. Using a theoretical framework based on the congruity theory and the theory of reasoned action, this study examines the influence of consumer cause involvement, perceived brand motivations and cause–brand alliance attitude on consumers’ intentions to purchase the product associated with a cause–brand alliance. Hypotheses were tested in the context of mock cause–brand alliance press releases in an online survey administered to 742 US college students. Findings indicate that perceived brand motivations partially mediate the relationship between cause involvement and cause–brand alliance attitude, and that cause–brand alliance attitude positively influences purchase intentions. Managerial implications are discussed.

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Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri, 137 Stanley Hall, Columbia, 65211, MO, USA

    Beth Myers, Wi-Suk Kwon & Sandra Forsythe

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  1. Beth Myers
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  2. Wi-Suk Kwon
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  3. Sandra Forsythe
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Correspondence to Beth Myers.

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Myers, B., Kwon, WS. & Forsythe, S. Creating successful cause–brand alliances: The role of cause involvement, perceived brand motivations and cause–brand alliance attitude. J Brand Manag 20, 205–217 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2012.34

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2012.34

Keywords

  • cause
  • brand
  • alliance
  • involvement
  • motivations