The effect of cause-related marketing and motivation on consumer perceptions

The present experiment investigated the relationship between motivational style (intrinsic and extrinsic) and cause-related marketing (CRM) on product perceptions. CRM pairs the sale of products with a donation to a specific charitable cause. It was predicted that consumers will have more positive perceptions of products sold through CRM campaigns, be more likely to buy such products paired with CRM, and express more positive attitudes toward companies using CRM. Furthermore, it was predicted that motivational style may impact those attitudes, with intrinsically-motivated individuals showing a greater affinity toward a product when it is paired with a CRM campaign. Overall, results largely supported the hypotheses, with attitudes being more positive toward products and companies sold via CRM and with a greater likelihood of buying CRM products. And while an individual\u27s level of extrinsic motivation did not affect perceptions, those who scored high in intrinsic motivation showed more positive attitudes toward CRM products