Exploring the effects of the perceived fit with corporate social responsibility on brand loyalty in the tobacco industry
Main Article Content
Abstract
The shifting emphasis to the dimensions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by firms has been more pronounced than ever before. Although CSR efforts by tobacco firms have been labelled oxymoron by commentators, they have still executed aggressive CSR strategies aiming at the public. With the purpose of effectively carrying out CSR practices, tobacco firms need to explore how to concentrate customers’ attention on their CSR practices, that is, the determinants influencing brand loyalty. This study considered the aspects of perceived fit between CSR activities and a firm’s core business and corporate image pertaining to brand loyalty. To analyse the relationships among them, Multiple Regression Analysis was employed with a sample of 152 United Kingdom smokers. Results show that while there is a negative relationship between the perceived fit of corporate image and CSR activities and brand loyalty, there is no support for the association between the perceived core business-CSR fit and brand loyalty in the tobacco industry.
Article Details
Keywords
Corporate Social Responsibility, brand loyalty, United Kingdom
References
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42. Lafferty, B. A. 2007. ‘The relevance of fit in a cause-brand alliance when consumers evaluate corporate credibility’. Journal of Business Research, 60: 5, 447-453.
43. Laurent, G. and Lambert-Pandraud, R. 2010. ‘Why do older consumers buy older brands? The role of attachment and declining innovativeness’. Journal of Marketing, 74: 5, 104-121.
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48. Martínez, P. and Rodríguez del Bosque, I. 2013. ‘CSR and customer loyalty: The roles of trust, customer identification with the firm and satisfaction’. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 3: 5, 89-99.
49. Mazodier, M. and Merunka, D. 2012. ‘Achieving brand loyalty through sponsorship: The role of fit and self-congruity’. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40: 6, 807-820.
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81.46-64.
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61. Ruth, J. A. and Simonin, B. L. 2003. ‘“Brought to you by brand A and brand B” investigating multiple sponsors’ influence on consumers’ attitudes toward sponsored events’. Journal of Advertising, 32: 3, 19-30.
62. Scalet, S. and Kelly, T. 2010. ‘CSR rating agencies: What is their global impact?’ Journal of Business Ethics, 9: 4, 69–88.
63. Shaw, D. and Shiu, E. 2002. ‘The role of ethical obligation and self-identity in ethical consumer choice’. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 26: 2, 109–116.
64. Speed, R. and Thompson, P. 2000. ‘Determinants of sports sponsorship response’. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28: 2, 226–238.
65. Stanaland, A. J. S., Lwin, M. O., and Murphy, P. E. 2011.’ Consumer perceptions of the antecedents and consequences of corporate social responsibility’. Journal of Business Ethics, 102: 1, 47-55.
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2. Ahluwalia, R. & Gürhan-Canli, Z. 2000. ‘The effects of extensions on the family brand name: An accessibility-diagnosticity perspective’. Journal of Consumer Research, 27:3, 371-381.
3. Ailawadi, K. L., Neslin, S. A., Luan, Y. J., and Taylor, G. A. 2014. ‘Does retailer CSR enhance behavioural loyalty? A case for benefit segmentation’. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 3: 2, 156-167.
4. Andreassen, T. W. and Lindestad, B. 1998. ‘Customer loyalty and complex services: the impact of corporate image on quality and loyalty for customers with varying degrees of service expertise’. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 9: 1, 7-23.
5. ASH. 2012. Young people and smoking. ASH report. Available at http://www.ash.org.uk/
6. Ashforth, B. E. and Gibbs, B. W. 1990. ‘The double-edge of organizational legitimation’. Organization Science, 1: 2, 177-194.
7. Ashley, M. J. and Cohen, J. E. 2003. ‘What the public thinks about the tobacco industry and its products’. Tobacco Control, 12: 4, 396-400.
8. Atkinson, D. 2014. ‘E-cigarette firms must pursue brand ‘intimacy’ to counter lack of customer loyalty’. Available at http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/
9. Balmer, J.M.T. 1995. ‘Corporate branding and connoisseurship’. Journal of General Management, 2: 1, 24 – 46.
10. Barnea, A. and Rubin, A. 2010. ‘Corporate social responsibility as a conflict between shareholders’. Journal of Business Ethics, 97: 1, 71-86.
11. Berens, G., van Riel, C. B. M., & van Bruggen, G. H. (2005). Corporate associations and consumer product responses: The moderating role of corporate brand dominance. Journal of Marketing, 69(3), 35-48.
12. Bhattacharya, C. B. and Sen, S. 2004. ‘Doing better at doing good: When, why, and how consumers respond to corporate social initiatives’. California Management Review, 47: 1, 9-24.
13. Brown, T. J. and P. A. Dacin. 1997. ‘The Firm and the Product: Corporate Associations and Consumer Product Responses’. Journal of Marketing, 6: 1, 68–84.
14. Brownell, K. D. and Warner, K. E. 2009. ‘The perils of ignoring history: Big tobacco played dirty and millions died. How similar is big food?’ The Milbank Quarterly, 87: 1, 259-294.
15. Brunk, K. H. 2012. ‘Un/ethical firm and brand perceptions: Conceptualising and operationalising consumer meanings’. Journal of Business Ethics, 111: 4, 551-565.
16. Bucklin, L. P. and Sengupta, S. 1993.’ Organizing successful co-marketing alliances’. Journal of Marketing, 57: 2, 32-46.
17. Cai, Y., Jo, H. and Pan, C. 2012. ‘Doing Well While Doing Bad? CSR in Controversial Industry Sectors’. Journal of Business Ethics, 108: 4, 467-480.
18. Carrigan, M. and Attalla, A. 2001. ‘The myth of the ethical consumer—do ethics matter in purchase behaviour?’ Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18: 7, 560–577.
19. Carroll, A. B. 1979. ‘A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance’. Academy of Management Review, 4: 4, 497-505.
20. Carroll, A. B. 1991. ‘The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders’. Business Horizons. 34: 4. 39-48.
21. Carroll, C. 2013. The handbook of communication and corporate reputation. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
22. Chaudhuri, A. and Holbrook, M. B. 2001. The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: The role of brand loyalty. The Journal of Marketing, 65: 2, 81-93.
23. Christensen, L. T. and Askegaard, S. 2001.’ Corporate identity and corporate image revisited - A semiotic perspective’. European Journal of Marketing, 35: 3/4, 292-315.
24. Crane, A. and Matten, D. 2004. Business Ethics. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
25. Day, G. S. 1969. ‘A two-dimensional concept of brand loyalty’. Journal of Advertising Research, 9: 3, 29-31.
26. Dorfman, L., Cheyne, A., Friedman, L. C., Wadud, A., and Gottlieb, M. 2012. ‘Soda and tobacco industry corporate social responsibility campaigns: How do they compare?’ PLoS Medicine, 9: 6, 1-7.
27. Drumwright, M. E. 1996. ‘Firm advertising with a social dimension: The role of noneconomic criteria’. Journal of Marketing, 60: 4, 71-87.
28. Fatt, J., Wei, M., Yuen, S. and Suan, W. 2000. ‘Enhancing corporate image in organisations’. Management Research News, 23: 5/6, 28-54.
29. Flavián, C., Guinalíu, M., and Torres, E. 2005. ‘The influence of corporate image on consumer trust’. Internet Research, 15-4, 447-470.
30. Fooks, G., Gilmore, A., Collin, J., Holden, C., and Lee, K. 2013. ‘The limits of corporate social responsibility: Techniques of neutralization, stakeholder management and political CSR’. Journal of Business Ethics, 112: 2, 283-299.
31. Galbreath, J. 2009. ‘Building corporate social responsibility into strategy’. European Business Review, 21: 2, 109-127.
32. Garcı´a de los Salmones, M., Herrero, A. and Rodrıguez del Bosque, I. 2005. ‘Influence of corporate social responsibility on loyalty and valuation of services’. Journal of Business Ethics, 61: 4, 369-85.
33. Green, T. & Peloza, J .2011. ‘How does corporate social responsibility create value for consumers?’ Journal of Consumer Marketing, 28 :1, 48-56.
34. Gwinner, K.P., and Eaton, J. 1997. ‘Building brand image through event sponsorship: The role of image transfer’. Journal of Advertising, 28: 4, 47–57.
35. Hay, B., Stavins, R., and Vietor, R. 2005. Environmental protection and the social responsibility of firms. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future
36. Heal, G. 2008. When principles pay. New York: Columbia Business School Pub.
37. Hoeffler, S., and Keller, K. L. 2002. ‘Building brand equity through corporate societal marketing’. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 21: 1, 78-89.
38. Jacoby, J. and Chestnut, R.W. 1978. Brand Loyalty: Measurement and Management. New York: John Wiley
39. Johar, G. V. and Pham, M. T. 1999. ‘Relatedness, prominence, and constructive sponsor identification’. Journal of Marketing Research, 36: 3, 299-312.
40. John, D. R., Loken, B., and Joiner, C. 1998. ‘The negative impact of extensions: Can flagship products be diluted?’ Journal of Marketing, 62: 1, 19-32.
41. Kumar, S. and Advani, J. 2005. ‘Factors affecting brand loyalty: A study in an emerging market on fast moving consumer goods’. Journal of Customer Behavior, 4: 2, 251–275.c
42. Lafferty, B. A. 2007. ‘The relevance of fit in a cause-brand alliance when consumers evaluate corporate credibility’. Journal of Business Research, 60: 5, 447-453.
43. Laurent, G. and Lambert-Pandraud, R. 2010. ‘Why do older consumers buy older brands? The role of attachment and declining innovativeness’. Journal of Marketing, 74: 5, 104-121.
44. Lee, E. M. and Park, S. 2013.’ Employee perception of CSR activities: Its antecedents and consequences’. Journal of Business Research, 66: 10, 1716-1724.
45. Magnusson, P., and Zdravkovic, S. 2010. ‘Dimensions of fit between a brand and a social cause and their influence on attitudes’. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 27: 2, 151-160.
46. Maguire, K. 2000. ‘Dons furious over tobacco cash’. The Guardian. Available at
47. Maignan, I. 2001. ‘Consumers’ Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Cross Cultural Perception’, Journal of Business Ethics, 30: 1, 57–72.
48. Martínez, P. and Rodríguez del Bosque, I. 2013. ‘CSR and customer loyalty: The roles of trust, customer identification with the firm and satisfaction’. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 3: 5, 89-99.
49. Mazodier, M. and Merunka, D. 2012. ‘Achieving brand loyalty through sponsorship: The role of fit and self-congruity’. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40: 6, 807-820.
50. McDonald, C. 1991. ‘The Image of Sponsor’, European Journal of Marketing, 25(11), 31–38.
51. Ndregjoni, Z., & Gega, E. 2012. ‘Customer loyalty and value key dimensions interaction in organisation’. International Journal of Management Cases, 14: 2, 63-67.
52. Pérez, A. and Rodríguez del Bosque, I. 2014. ‘An integrative framework to understand how CSR affects customer loyalty through identification, emotions and satisfaction’. Journal of Business Ethics.
53. Pérez, R. C., Alcañiz, E. B., and Herrera, A. A. 2009. ‘The role of self-definitional principles in consumer identification with a socially responsible firm’. Journal of Business Ethics, 8-9, 547-564.
54. Pivato, S., Misani, N., and Tencati, A. 2008. The impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer trust: The case of organic food. Business Ethics: A European Review, 17-1, 3-12.
55. Porter, M. and Kramer, M. 2006. ‘Strategy and Society: The Link between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility’. Harvard Business Review, 84: 12, 78 – 82.
56. Porter, M. E. and Kramer, M. R. 2002. ‘The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy’. Harvard Business Review, 80: 12, 56-69.
57. Preuss, L. 2008. ‘A reluctant stakeholder on the perception of corporate social responsibility among European trade unions’. Business Ethics: A European Review, 17: 2, 149-160.
58. Reichheld, F. F. 2003. ‘The one number you need to grow’. Harvard Business Review,
81.46-64.
59. Rodgers, S. 2003. ‘The effects of sponsor relevance on consumer reactions to Internet sponsorships’. Journal of Advertising, 32: 4, 67-76.
60. Rundle-Thiele, S. 2005. ‘Elaborating customer loyalty: Exploring loyalty to wine retailers’. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 12-5, 333-344.
61. Ruth, J. A. and Simonin, B. L. 2003. ‘“Brought to you by brand A and brand B” investigating multiple sponsors’ influence on consumers’ attitudes toward sponsored events’. Journal of Advertising, 32: 3, 19-30.
62. Scalet, S. and Kelly, T. 2010. ‘CSR rating agencies: What is their global impact?’ Journal of Business Ethics, 9: 4, 69–88.
63. Shaw, D. and Shiu, E. 2002. ‘The role of ethical obligation and self-identity in ethical consumer choice’. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 26: 2, 109–116.
64. Speed, R. and Thompson, P. 2000. ‘Determinants of sports sponsorship response’. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28: 2, 226–238.
65. Stanaland, A. J. S., Lwin, M. O., and Murphy, P. E. 2011.’ Consumer perceptions of the antecedents and consequences of corporate social responsibility’. Journal of Business Ethics, 102: 1, 47-55.
66. Tansey, R. 2013. Fossil fuel lobbying at UN climate talks ‘harmful’ say NGOs. RTCC. Available at http://www.rtcc.org/
67. WHO. 2002. National cancer Control programs: Policies and managerial guidelines. Available at http://www.who.int/
68. WHO. 2013. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2013: Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Available at http://www.who.int/tobacco/global_ report/2013/en/
69. Worthington, S., Russell-Bennett, R., and Hartel, C. E. J. 2009. ‘A tri-dimensional approach for auditing brand loyalty’. Journal of Brand Management, 17: 4, 243-253.