The Effects of Giving Styles on the Communication Effectiveness in Cause‐Related Marketing (CRM): The Underlying Mechanism of Imagery of the Beneficiaries
Author
Abstract
The aims of this research are twofold: (1) to explore the interplay effects of giving styles and the duration of cause cooperation on CRM communication effectiveness; and (2) to examine the underlying mechanism: imagery of the beneficiaries. Across three studies, Study 1 examined actual behavior by using an incentive compatible design, while Studies 2 and 3 measured behavioral intentions. Study 3 considered three variables at the same time, and tested the underlying mechanisms in both Study 2 and Study 3. The findings revealed that when a donation size is small (vs. large), monetary giving (vs. non-monetary giving) can induce people to better imagine images of the beneficiaries being helped and strengthen positive CRM communication effectiveness (i.e., purchase intentions and word-of-mouth). However, this phenomenon only exists in the short-term condition, and not in the long-term condition. The results also revealed that imagery of a beneficiary mediated the interplay effects of giving styles, the duration of cause cooperation, and the size of monetary donations on CRM communication effectiveness. Our findings provide some guidelines for brands and nonprofit organizations in cause-related marketing. For example, in the short-term condition, it is necessary to carefully design the giving styles and the size of donations in cause-related marketing.
Key Words
giving style, duration of cause cooperation, donation size, imagery of the beneficiary, communication effectiveness of cause-related marketing
