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Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Cause-Related Marketing: A Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

In its three decades of development, many constructs of cause-related marketing have been tested from different perspectives and in varied contexts. However, there has not yet been an integrated empirical study. Reviewing 162 studies from 117 articles, we constructed a framework of meta-analysis and identified 20 constructs. Among these, 13 are antecedents that can be grouped into three components: consumer-related traits, execution-related factors, and product-related traits, while three mediators and four consequences are used to measure the effectiveness of cause-related marketing. Moreover, we examined 857 relationships among the constructs. The results showed that consumer-related traits, execution-related factors, and product-related traits all influence the effectiveness of cause-related marketing to varying degrees. Furthermore, we analyzed the effects of six moderators and found that cause-related marketing would be more effective when the brand is familiar, the product is utilitarian, the donation magnitude is large, and the cause is less familiar. However, neither cultural orientation nor cause type significantly influences the effectiveness of cause-related marketing. Finally, the interactions between these moderators and execution-related antecedents provide contributions and implications for cause-related marketing.

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Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71772115, 71702097).

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  1. School of Management, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Baoshan District, Shanghai, 200444, China

    Xiaojun Fan, Nianqi Deng & Xuebing Dong

  2. Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Yi Qian

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Fan, X., Deng, N., Qian, Y. et al. Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Cause-Related Marketing: A Meta-Analysis. J Bus Ethics 175, 339–360 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04639-6

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