What Do Consumers Like to See in a Cause-Related Marketing Campaign Board?
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to discover elements or contents of a Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) campaign’s communication board that may attract consumers to participate in the CRM program. This study focuses on the design of a CRM campaign communication board exclusively based on the perceptions of Malaysian consumers in the hypermarket context. Besides that, this study also identifies social causes applicable for hypermarkets in Malaysia. Employing a qualitative approach, the data in this study were obtained through focus group interviews and were analysed using a content analysis method. The study has identified seven themes that Malaysian consumers would like to see in a communication board, which were hypermarket initiative, communication, tagline and logos, timeframe, types of support (funds handled by NGOs), company-cause fit, and CRM products that are not limited to local products. These elements, if incorporated into a CRM communication board, will appeal to Malaysian consumers. The findings provide insights into the study of CRM communication board content that appeals to hypermarket consumers in Malaysia. This study also contributed to the CRM literature by exploring the applicability of a fairly new social cause (e.g. supporting underprivileged individuals) that can be championed and supported by the hypermarket. This research also offers practical implications for hypermarket managers. Hypermarkets can incorporate the seven elements (hypermarket initiative, communication, tagline and logos, timeframe, types of support, company-cause fit, and CRM products that are not limited to local products) while designing a CRM communication board.
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