Cause-related marketing and consumer behaviour in the greater eThekweni area

Abstract

Cause-related marketing (CRM) is a marketing strategy in which acompany's name, brand or service is partnered with a cause or a charity.This type of link has become increasingly popular throughout the world,presenting economic and social opportunities for businesses. Variousresearch studies in such first world countries as the United States andthe United Kingdom reveal that a large proportion of consumers areresponsive to CRM. One of the objectives of this study was to establishwhether selected socio-demographic factors affect the evaluation of aCRM offer in the eThekweni region of South Africa. It is anticipatedthat, its findings will be of assistance to marketers enabling them tomake a more accurate identification as to the responsiveness of variousgroups to a CRM strategy. A quantitative study was conducted in shoppingmalls, using a structured questionnaire administered via interviews.Results established that there is a relationship betweensocio-demographic characteristics and the evaluation of a CRM offer.