The Moderating Effect of Product Category andMessage Type on CRM (Cause-Related Marketing)and Brand Attitude

Abstract

“Cause-related marketing (CRM)," generally defined as a mutually beneficial relationship between a company and a non-profit relationship or a social cause, is perhaps the most progressive outgrowth of the marketing trend. This paper contributes to and looks at the practical issues of CRM and its effect on the brand attitude of customers. To do so, the following three broad questions have been addressed: 1) Which cause-related orientation is effective on the customers’ attitude toward the brand? 2) Which cause-related message type provides a crucial impact on the customers’ attitude of the brand? 3) How does product category act upon and bring about different consequences on CRM? To address these questions, a causal model has been developed that incorporates message type, product relevance, social significance, and brand attitude. The study model was tested with survey data collected from 400 working professionals and students in Seoul and 176 valid surveys were statistically processed. The results of the study considerably supported the conceptual model. The analysis also revealed that the study population was unable to detect the differences in CRM strategies but instead tend to conceptualize them as a whole.