Abstract:
Prof. Dr. Tammo H.A. Bijmolt University of Groningen
“How to Do Well by Doing Good: A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Cause-Related Marketing”
Cause-related marketing (CM) ties a brand’s philanthropic engagement to a sales promotion. Due to its dual nature, CM has been shown to evoke both positive (warm glow) and negative (consumer skepticism) consumer responses. Yet, current research has produced inconclusive evidence, and it is unclear to what extent and under what conditions (moderators) CM influences attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. This meta-analysis therefore synthesizes the empirical evidence about both the CM main effect and relevant CM moderators across 160 papers, reporting 229 studies. The authors find a moderate and positive main effect of CM. This effect is highly contingent on factors related to four dimensions: the for-profit partner, the non-profit partner, the donation, and the campaign communication. In particular, the meta-analysis reconciles previously inconclusive evidence on the most studied CM moderators (fit between the for-profit and the donation target, hedonic product type, donation level) and further reveals several significant novel CM moderators. Overall, the generalizations inform researchers and managers about expected effect sizes when executing CM, compare its effectiveness to other CSR activities and price promotions, and provide a systematic agenda for further research.
About the person:
Tammo H.A. Bijmolt is Professor in Marketing Research at the University of Groningen and director of the Groningen Digital Business Centre. His research interests include loyalty programs, retailing, e-commerce, advertising, and meta-analysis. On these topics, Tammo Bijmolt has been involved in numerous research projects in collaboration with companies and international co-authors. His publications have appeared in leading international journals, such as Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Research, and International Journal of Research in Marketing. He is vice-president conferences of the European Marketing Academy.
