Determinants and Consequences of Cause–Brand Association: An Empirical Analysis

A cause–brand association (CBA) is a marketing strategy of embedding a social cause in the promotion of a brand. The purpose of this article is to develop a comprehensive model of the determinants and consequences of CBA and to statistically validate the same in the Indian context. The review of the extant literature put forward eight constructs and the conjectured paths. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 799 respondents from Mumbai (a metropolitan city in India) through a survey. The conjectured model was statistically tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling. The results of the study put forward three determinants of attitude towards CBA: (a) Pre-existing attitude towards the brand, (b) Cause affinity and (c) Cause–Brand fit. Further, it was found that CBA has positive effects on post-CBA attitude towards brand and post-CBA attitude towards the cause, which in turn influence purchase intentions and behavioural intentions towards social cause, respectively. Furthermore, the model demonstrated a positive effect of behavioural intentions on purchase intentions. The article provides useful insights into the important dimensions of CBA that can be utilized to design effective promotion campaigns. This also proposes a model integrating both consequences and determinants of CBA.