Consumers' Perception and Causes' Attributes Influencing Consumers' Participation Willingness in Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns: Empirical Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Current research on consumers' perceptions of cause-related marketing campaigns and attributes of causes for socially responsible practices are both contradictory and culturally specific. Businesses in Saudi Arabia find it difficult to use such research to develop strategies that effectively encourage Saudi consumers to engage in cause-related marketing campaigns. The aim of this thesis is to explore how Saudi consumers perceive cause related marketing and their willingness to participate in such marketing campaigns so that firms can improve their cause-related marketing practices within the Saudi cultural context. As a secondary aim, the thesis aims to determine the influence of causes' attributes on consumers' participation willingness in cause-related marketing campaigns, which will allow businesses to improve managerial decisions about the attributes of causes they should focus on to better encourage consumers to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns. To attain these aims, this research used a mixed methods approach: focused interviews and surveys. The focused interviews set out to identify the most relevant variables that make up consumers' perceptions toward cause-related marketing campaigns. The survey instruments were developed based on the result of a content analysis of the interviews and a literature review. The survey instrument was tested to purify the scales that measured consumers' perceptions of cause-related marketing campaigns and attributes of causes before being widely administered. Findings from the interviews and survey confirm the existence of a five-factor structure that explained consumers' perceptions of cause-related marketing campaigns: firm's previous experience with the charity; consumers' scepticism about the firm's motivation for engaging in cause-related marketing campaigns; the firm’s credibility from the consumers' points of view; impact of religion on consumers' decisions to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns; and impact of consumers' morals and culture on the decision to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns. The findings also confirm the existence of a three-factor structure that explained causes’ attributes: product-cause match, urgency of the cause and geographical proximity of the cause. Concerning the relationship between consumers' perceptions of cause-related marketing campaigns and attributes of causes on consumers' participation willingness in cause-related marketing campaigns, the research shows that the dimensions of firm's previous experience with the charity; firm's credibility from the consumers' points of view; impact of religion on consumers' decisions to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns; and impact of consumers' morals and culture on the decision to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns are positively related to consumers' willingness to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns. The dimension related to consumers' scepticism about the firm's motivation for engaging in cause-related marketing campaigns is negatively related to consumers' willingness to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns. The findings of the research also show that product-cause match, urgency of the cause and geographical proximity of the cause have a significant relationship to consumers' willingness to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns. These research findings mean that consumers will evaluate cause-related marketing campaigns more highly and firms would increase the probability of consumer participation in situations where: a) there is a likely match between the cause and the product; b) when cause-related marketing campaigns are related to disasters with short-term impact; and c) when the cause is a national charity. Overall, the research findings make an important contributing to the area of consumers' perceptions of cause-related marketing campaigns, and extend existing theory on attributes of causes that encourage consumers to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns by showing the complexity and interrelated nature of the dimensions of importance to consumers behaviours in making decisions to participate in cause-related marketing campaigns in Saudi Arabia. The research also indicates there are other dimensions of interest, and indicates how these dimensions may influence the five consumers' perception dimensions. This research provides managers with new insight into cause-related marketing practices. The findings can, for example, assist marketing managers to segment their markets more appropriately, and assist those in charge of public relations to determine appropriate product-cause matches. In relation to cause-related marketing campaign partners, the results highlight the importance of choosing compatible partners that link best to the firms' product or target group. Further, managers need to consider where to direct donations for cause-related marketing campaigns. Donations are most forthcoming in marketing campaigns that deal with disasters and national causes. Future research could examine the effect of other variables on the success of cause-related marketing campaigns (e.g. donation amounts, timing of donations etc.). Future research should also explore the generalisability of the findings to other contexts (e.g. other countries, other firms, other causes etc.).