Despite the vast research on Cause-Related Marketing, little is known about the instrument’s potential to substitute direct donations. A company engages in Cause-Related Marketing when it teams up with a cause supporting charity organisation. The similarity with direct donations suggests that cause-marketed products bear the potential to tap the donation market. The present investigation extends prior research by identifying key drivers for purchasing cause-marketed products and its potential to gain access to the market of direct donations (Hypothesis 1). Second, the work tries to assess the geographic implications of a Cause-Related Marketing campaign (Hypothesis 2). The results of Hypothesis 1 indicate that cause-marketed products bear a potential to substitute direct donations. Findings of Hypothesis 2 show that the geographical context of a CRM campaign has implications on the cause supported by a
nongovernmental organisation.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1 Traditional Marketing
2.1.1 Definitions of Traditional Marketing
2.1.2 Concepts of Traditional Marketing
2.1.3 Summary Traditional Marketing
2.2 Cause-Related Marketing
2.2.1 Definitions of Cause-Related Marketing
2.2.2 Concepts of Cause-Related Marketing
2.2.3 Benefits and Risks of Cause Related Marketing
2.2.4 Summary Cause-Related Marketing
2.3 Cause Affinity
2.3.1 Customer Behaviour
2.3.2 Definitions of Cause Affinity
2.3.3 Concepts of Cause Affinity
2.3.4 Summary Cause Affinity
3. Methodology
3.1 Summary
3.2 Business Research Strategies
3.2.1 Reliability, Replication, Validity
3.2.2 Secondary Research & Primary Research
3.3 The Self-Completion Questionnaire
3.3.1 The Approach
3.3.2 The Likert Scale
3.4 Population, Sample and Common Errors
3.4.1 Description of Population and Sample
3.4.2 Common Sampling Errors
3.5 Ethical considerations
4. Statistics
4.1 General Donation Behaviour
4.1.1 Have you ever donated money, time or goods for charity purposes or charity organisations?
4.1.2 How did you mostly get involved with charity organisations?
4.1.3 How often do you get involved for a charity organisation?
4.1.4 What is your preferred geographic context of involvement?
4.1.5 I do not donate for the reason(s) of:
4.2 Distribution of Responsibility & Attitude towards Cause-Marketed Products
4.2.1 Companies have a social responsibility
4.2.2 Consumers have a social responsibility.
4.2.3 A consumer can remedy shortcomings with his buying behaviour
4.2.4 The disposition of products which support a charitable cause is part of a corporation’s responsibility
4.2.5 The purchase of products which support a charitable cause is part of a consumer’s responsibility
4.2.6 I specifically purchase products which support a charitable cause
4.2.7 If I purchase a product which supports charitable causes I want to engage nationally/internationally
4.2.8 I would pay a higher price for products, which support a charitable cause
4.2.9 I perceive donating as more convenient when I buy products which support charitable causes
4.2.10 If I were to specifically buy products which support a charitable cause, I would be less engaged in charitable organisations
4.2.11 Which of the following statements describes you the most?
4.2.12 I wish more companies would support a charitable cause.
4.2.13 Which NATIONAL charitable cause would you prefer to support when purchasing a product which supports a charitable cause?
4.2.14 Which INTERNATIONAL charitable cause would you prefer to support when purchasing a product which supports a charitable cause?
4.3 Summary Statistics
5. Analysis
5.1 Aim of the Study
5.2 Statistical Analysis
5.3 Distribution of Responsibility & Attitude towards Cause-Marketed Products
5.4 Assessing the Preferred Causes
5.5 Implication for Literature
5.6 Summary Analysis
6. Recommendations
7. References
8. Appendix
8.1 Appendix Methodology
8.1.1 Epistemological Considerations
8.1.2 Ontological Considerations
8.1.3 Quantitative vs. Qualitative
8.1.4 Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional
8.2 Ethical Considerations
8.2.1 Harm to Participants
8.2.2 Lack of Informed Consent
8.2.3 Invasion of Privacy
8.2.4 Involvement of Deception
8.2.5 Data Management
8.3 Porter’s Value Chain
8.4 The Questionnaire
Objectives and Research Themes
This dissertation examines the potential of Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) as a substitute for direct donations among German consumers in the South German region. The study explores whether consumers perceive purchasing cause-marketed products as equivalent to traditional charitable donations and investigates how geographical context influences cause affinity and donor behavior.
- The potential of CRM as a substitute for direct financial or time-based donations.
- Drivers and behavioral triggers for purchasing cause-marketed products.
- The influence of geographical context (national vs. international) on cause preference.
- Consumer expectations regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) and cause alignment.
- Analysis of the decision-making process for different donation modalities.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.2 Concepts of Cause-Related Marketing
Many international organisations agree that CRM campaigns influence their reputation and hence their profitability in a positive way (Mullen, 1997). While the world is flooded with advertisements, innovations and brands, companies start to seek a long-term relationship with the customer to find a constant factor they can rely on. The ethical perception of causes is unlikely to diminish or change, so creating a strong fit through a cause helps create such a long-term relationship (Peters, et al., 2007). Thus, contrary to the traditional marketing approach, Cause-Related Marketing reacts onto the perceptions of causes of customers, rather than influencing them. This makes CRM a reactive approach towards a non-influential opinion of the customer (Figure 4).
After a profit-oriented corporation has teamed up with an NGO of their choice, a win-win-win situation can be established. The consumer does not only consume in a selfish manner, the NGO profits from more donations and the corporation gains reputation (Andreasen, 1996).
Berglind and Nakata, on the other hand, found that a huge part of CRM campaigns are actually not what they seem to be. They base their findings on the watchdog group “Think Before You Pink” (TBYP) (Think Before You Pink, 2012) and criticise several CRM campaigns of multiple companies. TBYP asks the same questions customers would ask and hence conclude on their findings. According to Berglind and Nakata, most of the CRM campaigns are nothing but “[...] a clever manipulation to enrich a corporation’s coffers”. They point out the Yoplait Inc. (Yogurt) campaign “Save Lids to Save Lives”: “A woman would have to eat three containers of Yoplait every day during the four-month campaign to raise $36 for the cause [...]” (Think Before You Pink, 2012).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the rise of Cause-Related Marketing in saturated markets and outlines the research hypotheses focusing on German consumer behavior.
2. Literature Review: The chapter covers traditional marketing, the definition and evolution of Cause-Related Marketing, and the concept of Cause Affinity regarding consumer decisions.
3. Methodology: Describes the quantitative, cross-sectional research design using a self-completion questionnaire conducted among employees of a pharmaceutical company in South Germany.
4. Statistics: Presents the empirical findings of the survey, categorized into donation behavior, responsibility perception, attitudes toward CRM, and cause ranking.
5. Analysis: Interprets the statistical data to evaluate the two hypotheses, discussing the role of convenience and trust in CRM effectiveness and its place in literature.
6. Recommendations: Summarizes the key findings and provides practical implications for companies, highlighting the necessity for deep market research on cause preferences.
Keywords
Cause-related marketing, CRM, direct donations, CSR, corporate social responsibility, cause affinity, consumer behavior, market research, quantitative study, donation modes, geographical context, consumer responsibility, charity, South Germany, marketing instrument.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
The research investigates whether Cause-Related Marketing can function as a direct substitute for traditional donations by analyzing consumer attitudes in South Germany.
What are the primary themes addressed?
The study explores corporate social responsibility, the "fit" between brands and social causes, consumer purchase triggers, and the influence of cultural backgrounds on charitable preferences.
What is the central research goal?
The study aims to prove two hypotheses: that consumers view buying cause-linked products as a form of donation, and that consumers expect corporations to support causes aligned with their own personal charitable interests.
Which scientific methodology was utilized?
The author conducted a quantitative, cross-sectional study using a self-completion questionnaire, distributed to employees within a pharmaceutical company in South Germany.
What topics are discussed in the main analysis?
The analysis treats consumer responsibility, the perceived convenience of CRM versus direct donations, and the statistical differences between national and international charitable preferences.
How would you describe the key terminology?
The work focuses on terms like Cause Affinity, CSR, and the "Triple Bottom Line" to evaluate how marketing strategies can ethically and successfully integrate social initiatives.
How does cultural background affect the findings?
The study finds that South German citizens exhibit distinct cause preferences, particularly regarding animal welfare and environmental issues, which significantly differ from national averages.
What is the significance of the "Triple Bottom Line" mentioned?
The author argues that companies integrating social and environmental performance alongside economic profit through a well-managed CRM strategy can significantly enhance their long-term brand equity.
- Citar trabajo
- Sebastian Siebert (Autor), 2012, Cause Related Marketing. A substitute for direct donations?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/266095
