Nabil D.

Little focus has been placed on the precise characteristics which make corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages the creator of either persuasion or cynicism. Instead, past academics have attempted to show the positive or negative impact these campaigns can have on companies, with little to no interest on the elements that make them so.

This dissertation has therefore tried to expand on these past findings and sought to understand how juxtaposing CSR with certain features in… Show more

Little focus has been placed on the precise characteristics which make corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages the creator of either persuasion or cynicism. Instead, past academics have attempted to show the positive or negative impact these campaigns can have on companies, with little to no interest on the elements that make them so.

This dissertation has therefore tried to expand on these past findings and sought to understand how juxtaposing CSR with certain features in messages can yield positive consumer attitudes and behaviors while improving their memorability.

A mixed form of research was used in order to answer these queries. Namely, the use of quantitative surveys allowed for a broad range of answers, while the use of qualitative focus groups gave rhetorical data to back up their quantitative counterpart.

In the end, the research found a clear link between a CSR message’s level of tangibility (a term applied in a specific manner for this paper) and changes in consumer attitudes, behaviors and memory. That is to say, statistically significant findings showed an improvement in purchase intention when participants were faced with CSR messages which were exceptionally clear, produced with vivid examples and understandable rhetoric. Likewise, skepticism was reduced when participants were faced with similar messages, while memory of highly tangible messages saw striking improvements. Show less

"a beautifully-presented, extremely well written and very coherent dissertation that manages to provide a comprehensive account of cause-related marketing (CRM) and its contexts but is much more than a description of how it works and a sample campaign. In addition, Nabil develops a useful argument for the ways in which CRM must develop in the future to remain relevant." -- Prof. Jason Whittaker

Fuelled by a consumer hungry for change and socially responsible corporations, cause-related… Show more

"a beautifully-presented, extremely well written and very coherent dissertation that manages to provide a comprehensive account of cause-related marketing (CRM) and its contexts but is much more than a description of how it works and a sample campaign. In addition, Nabil develops a useful argument for the ways in which CRM must develop in the future to remain relevant." -- Prof. Jason Whittaker

Fuelled by a consumer hungry for change and socially responsible corporations, cause-related marketing in which two organisation create a partnership to raise funds for a cause, has become an incredibly popular technique since the term was coined in the 1980s. However, the last decade showed some of the biggest changes in marketing channels since the invention of the television. The digital revolution led the way to an information age where data is accessible to all, at any time. This piece highlights the changes caused by the digital revolution on cause-related marketing. Today, acting socially responsible isn’t enough, companies must now be extremely transparent and more importantly, connect with consumers in order to keep such an ethical image. Show less