Exploring the interactive effects of brand use and gender on cause-related marketing over time

Research has shown that men and women respond differently to cause-related marketing (CRM) appeals with fictitious brands; however, few studies examine how CRM works for existing brands or measure long-term effects. To fill these gaps, we explore the influence of sponsor brand use and gender on responses to a CRM campaign at three points in time (premessage, postmessage exposure, and 2-week delay). We are the first study to identify the moderating effect of brand use on gendered responses to CRM messages. Nonbrand users increased their purchase intentions after CRM message exposure; this was especially true for men. Overall, our findings reinforce past research showing that CRM can positively influence short-term purchase intentions. We reveal new insights that show CRM can work especially well among nonbrand buyers; however, no significant long-term influence was found. Our results demonstrate the importance of segmenting the market by demographics and brand use as well as considering the long-term implications of CRM persuasion.