Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyse the potential of a co-branding strategy in cause-related marketing campaigns, in contrast to most studies’ underestimation of the role of brands involved in such programmes. In particular, the study applies assumptions confirmed in for-profit co-branding campaigns to the peculiar context of social-driven activities. The intent is to understand which brand is most important in consumers’ minds to improve consumers’ opinions and intentions to act on a cause-related product. The study consists of an experimental 2 (for-profit brand awareness: high; low) × 2 (non-profit brand awareness: high; low) between-subject design. The results highlight the central role played by the non-profit brand. The for-profit brand alone exerts no main effect on the dependent variables, whereas the non-profit brand shows a significant impact on purchase likelihood. Moreover, an interactive effect of both brands together affects consumers’ attitudes and expected price. The findings shed light on the effectiveness of a co-branding strategy in cause-related marketing programmes and emphasise the advisability for non-profit brand marketers to understand the importance of building strong brands.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aaker DA (1996) Building strong brand. The Free, New York
Aaker J, Vohs KD, Mogilner C (2010) Nonprofits are seen as warm and for-profits as competent: firm stereotypes matter. J Consum Res 37(2):224–237
Adkins S (1999) Cause related marketing: who cares wins. Elsevier, Burlington
Akerlof G (1970) The market of lemon: quality under uncertainty and the market mechanism. Q J Econ 84(August):488–500
Andersen AR (1996) Profits for nonprofits: find a corporate partner. Harv Bus Rev 74(6):47–59
Austin JE (2000) The collaboration between nonprofits and business. Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q 29(1):69–97
Baghi I, Tedeschi M, Rubaltelli E (2009) A strategy to communicate corporate social responsibility: cause related marketing and its dark side. Corp Soc Responsib Environ Manag 16:15–26
Baghi I, Rubaltelli E, Tedeschi M (2010) Mental accounting and cause related marketing strategies. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 7:145–156
Barone MJ, Norman AT, Miyazaki AD (2007) Consumer response to retailer use of cause-related marketing: is more fit better? J Retail 83(4):437–445
Bigné-Alcañiz E, Currás-Pérez R, Ruiz-Mafé C, Sanz-Blas S (2010) Consumer behavioural intentions in cause-related marketing. The role of identification and social cause involvement. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 7:127–143
Blackett T, Russell N (1999) What is co-branding? In: Blackett BT, Boad B (eds) Co-branding—the science of alliance. Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp 1–21
Chang C (2011) Guilt appeals in cause-related marketing: the subversive roles of product type and donation magnitude. Int J Advert 30(4):587–616
Cone Communication (2010) Cause marketing remains strong: 2010 Cone Cause Evolution Study. Boston
Cone CL, Feldman MA, DaSilva AT (2003) Best practise-cause and effects. Harv Bus Rev July: 34–45
D’Astous A, Colbert AF, Fournier M (2007) An experimental investigation of the use of brand extension and co-branding strategies in the arts. J Serv Mark 21(4):231–240
Desai KK, Keller KL (2002) The effects of ingredient branding strategies on host brand extendibility. J Mark 66(3):73–93
Dickinson S, Barker A (2006) Evaluation of branding alliances between non-profit and commercial brand partners: the transfer of affect. J Nonprofit Volunt Sec Mark 12:75–89
Ellen PS, Mohr LA, Webb DJ (1995) Consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility: do attributions make a difference? Association Consumer Res Conference, Minneapolis
Hankinson P (2000) Brand orientation in charity organization: qualitative research into key charity sector. Int J Nonprofit Volunt Sect 5(3):207–219
Hansen T (2008) Consumer values, the theory of planned behaviour and online grocery shopping. Int J Consum Stud 32(2):128–137
Harben B, Forsythe S (2011) Cause–brand alliances: less familiar brands with familiar causes. J Brand Manag 19(2):132–142
Helmig B, Huber J, Leeflang PSH (2008) Co-branding: the state-of-the-art. Schmalenbach Bus Rev 60(October):359–377
Hillyer C, Tikoo S (1995) Effect of cobranding on consumer product evaluations. Adv Consum Res 22:123–127
Hoeffler S, Keller KL (2002) Building brand equity through corporate societal marketing. J Public Policy Mark 21:34–46
Keller KL (2001) Building customer-based brand equity. Mark Manag July/August: 15–19
Kim Y, Han H (2010) Intention to pay conventional-hotel prices at a green hotel. A modification of the theory of planned behavior. J Sustain Tour 18(8):997–1014
Kreps DM (1991) A course in microeconimic theory. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Lafferty BA, Goldsmith RE, Hult GTM (2004) The impact of the alliance of the partners: a look at cause-brand alliances. Psychol Mark 21(7):509–531
Levin M, Davis JC, Levin IP (1996) Theoretical and empirical linkages between consumers responses to different branding strategies. Adv Consum Res 23:296–300
Madrigal R (2000) The influence of social alliances with sports teams on intentions to purchase corporate sponsors products. J Adv 29(4):13–24
Madrigal R (2001) Social identity effects in belief attitude intentions hierarchy: implications for corporate sponsorship. Psychol Mark 18(2):145–165
Michel G, Rieunier S (2012) Nonprofit brand image and typicality influences on charitable giving. J Bus Res 65:701–707
Montgomery C, Wernerfelt B (1992) Risk reduction under umbrella branding. J Bus 65(1):31–51
Ohlwein M, Schiele TP (1994) Co-branding. Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Studium 23:577–578
Papasolomou I, Demetriou M (2005) Cause-related marketing (CRM): branding finacial service organization in Cyprus by aligning CRS with business motivation. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 2(2):70–86
Peterson RA (2001) On the use of college students in social science research, insights from a second-order meta-analysis. J Consum Res 28:450–461
Polonsky MJ, Speed R (2001) Linking sponsorship and cause related marketing. Eur J Mark 35(11–12):1361–1389
Porter ME, Kramer MR (2002) The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy. Harv Bus Rev December: 5–16
Pracejus JW, Olsen GD (2004) The role of brand/cause fit in the effectiveness of cause-related marketing campaigns. J Bus Res 57:635–640
Pringle H, Thompson M, Brand Spirit (1999). John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK
Rao AR (1997) Strategic brand alliances. J Brand Manag 5(2):111–119
Rao AR, Ruekert W (1994) Brand alliance as signal of product quality. Sloan Manag Rev 36(fall):87–89
Rao AR, Qu L, Ruekert W (1999) Signaling unobservable product quality through brand ally. J Mark Res 36(May):258–268
Ritchie RJB, Swami S, Weimberg CB (1998) A brand new world for Nonprofits. Int J Nonprofit Volunt Sect 4(1):26–42
Ross JK, Patterson LT, Strutts MA (1992) Consumer perceptions of organisations that use cause-related marketing. J Acad Mark Sci 20(1):93–97
Ruth JA, Simonin BL (2003) Brought to you by brand A and Brand B. Investigating multiple sponsors’ influences on consumers’ attitudes toward sponsored events. J Adv 32:19–30
Strahilevitz M (1999) The effect of product type and donation magnitude on willingness to pay more for a charity-linked brand. J Consum Psychol 8(3):215–241
Strahilevitz M, Meyers JG (1998) Donation to charity as purchase incentive: how well they work may depend on what you are trying to sell. J Consum Res 24(4):434–446
Stride H, Lee S (2007) No logo? no way. Branding in the non-profit sector. J Mark Manag 23(1–2):107–122
Tangari AH, Folse JA, Burton S, Kees J (2010) The moderating influence of consumers’ temporal orientation on the framing of societal needs and corporate responses in cause-related marketing campaign. J Advert 39(2):35–50
Varadarajan PR, Menon A (1988) Cause-related marketing: a coalignment of marketing strategy and corporate philanthropy. J Mark 52:58–74
Webb DJ, Green CL, Brashear TG (2000) Development and validation of scales to measure attitudes influencing monetary donations to charitable organizations. J Acad Mark Sci: 299–309
Wernerfelt B (1988) Umbrella branding as a signal of new product quality: an example of signaling by posting a bond. J Econ 19(3):458–466
Wymer W, Sargeant A (2006) Insight from a review of the literature on cause marketing. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 3:9–21
Zikmund WG (2000) Exploring marketing research, 7th edn. Harcourt Brace and Company, USA
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baghi, I., Gabrielli, V. Co-branded cause-related marketing campaigns: the importance of linking two strong brands. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 10, 13–29 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-012-0086-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-012-0086-0