RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Make Cause-Related Marketing Messages About Your Customers, Not the Brand
JF Journal of Advertising Research
JO J Advert Res
FD WARC
SP PAP_028
DO 10.2501/JAR-2024-028
A1 McManus, Justin F.
A1 Carvalho, Sergio W.
A1 Aghakhani, Hamed
YR 2024
UL http://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/early/2024/11/18/JAR-2024-028.abstract
AB Prior research suggests that communicating cause-related marketing success risks being perceived by consumers as bragging (i.e., caring more about the brand’s image than the cause). This research examines cause-related marketing messaging about making charitable donations. Across three studies, the findings show that brands can mitigate the perception that they are bragging by attributing their charitable donations to their customers (versus the brand). While this beneficial effect only holds true for brands perceived as having high integrity, such brands can use it to hedge against being perceived as braggarts, thereby fostering trust and increasing future donation intentions.