The Impact of human vs. non-human causes on brand evaluations and purchase intentions

Introduction. Do consumers prefer to support certain types of causes more than others? Today, many brands use cause-related marketing (CRM) in their strategies as a way to connect with consumers. However, little is known if consumers prefer to support certain types of causes more than others. Extant literature on CRM has long studied the role of brand/cause fit in the effectiveness of CRM campaigns. Somewhat surprisingly, almost no research has addressed the issue of whether certain types of causes (e.g., human-related causes) are more important to the consumer than other types of causes (e.g. non-human-related campaigns). Objective. Based on the self-categorization theory this study aims to understand the role of cause category (human vs. non-human) and willingness to support, on consumers' perceptions and behavioral intentions. Materials and methods. The methodology used in this research is experimental. Results. Cause category has a significant direct effect on people's willingness to support. Additionally, results showed that willingness to support has a positive direct effect on both brand evaluations and purchase intentions. Conclusions. Advance in the discussion on what type of causes should companies promote, by highlighting the importance of consumer's willingness to support as a requisite to improve brand as well as purchase intentions.