Cause-related marketing in the telecom sector: Understanding the dynamics among environmental values, cause-brand fit, and product type

Abstract

Due to heightened ecological awareness and concern in recent years, many businesses have started to employ cause-related marketing (CRM) strategies aiming at communicating sustainability-based value to their potential targets. Building on the growing body of research on cause-brand fit and product types, the present study incorporates environmental values to explore the effectiveness of CRM messages in the telecom industry. A 4 × 2 online experiment was conducted in which a total of 1175 adults in Taiwan participated. The results demonstrated that CRM campaigns were effective for increasing perceived corporate image and purchase intentions. However, corporate image and purchase intentions did not vary with different levels of cause-brand fit. The results also showed that corporate image mediated the relationship between CRM campaigns and purchase intentions. Furthermore, this indirect relationship was moderated by environmental values, especially for necessary products. Theoretical and practical implications on corporate social responsibility to promote environmental sustainability are discussed.