Cause-related marketing to generation Y consumers : does product involvement matter?

Abstract

This study examined the influence of Cause Affinity and the moderating role of product involvement on CRM Effectiveness to Generation Y (Gen Y) consumers’ as measured by their attitudes and purchase intentions towards hypothetical brands. An online questionnaire, with accompanying designed cause-related advertisements was administered to a sample of 307 Gen Y consumers.

Results suggest that Cause Affinity, particularly for the advertised cause, is crucial in generating positive Brand Attitudes and Purchase Intentions amongst Gen Y consumers. Furthermore, Product Involvement was found to play a moderating role in influencing Brand Attitudes but not Purchase Intention. Gender and income level did not affect these relationships. A proposed model, built from our hypotheses, is subsequently presented to test for factors that may affect the Purchase Intention of cause-related brands.

When developing CRM initiatives, marketers should consider the Cause Affinity of their Gen Y target audience by carefully choosing causes that resonate with them. In particular, marketers of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) may want to use CRM more extensively as an effective way of enhancing attitudes and increasing sales.