Date of Completion

10-9-2017

Embargo Period

12-1-2017

Keywords

cause-related marketing, CRM, meta-analysis, MASEM, theory of planned behavior.

Major Advisor

Mark A. Hamilton

Associate Advisor

Leslie Snyder

Associate Advisor

John Christensen

Field of Study

Communication Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Open Access

Open Access

Abstract

Cause-related marketing (CRM) is a growing area of corporate social responsibility that involves a joint venture between a for-profit brand and a nonprofit organization. Over the past 30 years, cause-related marketing research has expanded to all corners of the globe. Themes in CRM research include cause-brand fit, cause involvement, cultural values and beliefs, and the influence of CRM on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. A series of bivariate meta-analyses were conducted using a random effects assumption to determine effect sizes in this field, and explain the variance in effects across a global body of literature. Results include the effect of CRM campaigns on brand attitudes, r=.284, 95% CI(0.189,0.373), and purchase intentions, r=.277, 95% CI(0.141, 0.404). A meta-analytical structural equation model (MASEM) of CRM effects on attitudes and purchase intentions (K=78, N=22,849) based on the theory of planned behavior is presented to guide future studies that explore the impact of beliefs such as cause involvement (B=.12) and skepticism (B= -.34) on consumer perceptions of cause-brand alliance fit, and the substantial impact (B=.40) these perceptions have on consumer attitudes. Recommendations for nonprofit marketers, for-profit marketers and academic research topics and methods are discussed.

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