Impulsive socially responsible buying after corporate social responsibility: when and why it happens

Companies frequently leverage corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to elicit positive consumer responses. This research investigates when and how brand power influences consumer responses to CSR, and identifies the consumption binge effect—that is, impulsive socially responsible buying (ISRB) which exceeds practical necessities. These findings diverge from prior research which regards this behaviour as rational. Across four studies, we find that weak brands are more likely to trigger consumers’ ISRB than strong brands when engaging in social responsibility. Moreover, based on the dual processing model of moral judgment, we demonstrate that the underlying mechanisms of empathy and perceived altruism are induced by weak brands. Furthermore, the type of donation moderates this effect. Weak brands induce stronger empathy and perceived altruistic motives when offering monetary donations (vs. brand-owned product donations), thereby driving ISRB. These findings deepen our understanding of consumer responses to CSR and provide actionable implications for companies conducting such initiatives.