Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
2022
Abstract
Much research has examined the benefit of brands that participate in cause marketing initiatives and give a portion of proceeds or product to a charity. However, what has been lacking from this investigation is how consumers respond when brands raise awareness for a cause but do not take any further action to contribute resources to the cause – what we term awareness marketing. Through five studies, we examine awareness marketing specifically among the potentially divisive context of social justice causes. We show that consumers with higher levels of religiosity are more likely to support products marketed with awareness marketing, that brand authenticity perceptions explain this relationship, and that these effects exist only for products marketed using awareness marketing (not for all products in general). Importantly, providing authenticity cues in marketing efforts increases lesser religious consumers’ authenticity perceptions and the resulting purchase intentions to the level of higher religiosity consumers.
Recommended Citation
Minton, Elizabeth A. and Cabano, Frank, "Awareness Marketing: Cause Marketing without Contribution" (2022). Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2022. 68.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/amtp-proceedings_2022/68
