I know what you\'re doing... and I like it! : persuasion knowledge effects on cause-related marketing campaigns

• Ano de defesa: 2025
• Autor(a) principal: Teles, Guilherme Mamede
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Biblioteca Digitais de Teses e Dissertações da USP
• Palavras-chave em Português: Brand attitudes; Persuasion knowledge; Brand-cause congruence; Congruência de marca e causa
• Link de acesso: https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/12/12139/tde-09062025-164406/

This study examines the impact of Persuasion Knowledge (PK) on the effectiveness of Cause-Related Marketing (CrM), exploring how congruence between a brand and its supported cause influences consumer responses. High congruence tends to elicit positive consumer reactions (Gupta & Pirsch, 2006), whereas low congruence may lead to negative reactions (Drumwright, 1996). As CrM campaigns proliferate, consumers develop increasing familiarity and critical awarenessdefined as Persuasion Knowledgewhich enables them to recognize, analyze, and evaluate persuasive tactics (Friestad & Wright, 1994). This awareness enhances either trust or skepticism depending on the perceived credibility of the message, amplifying consumer responses accordingly (Isaac & Grayson, 2017). Using serial mediation models, three studies were conducted to explore these dynamics. Study 1 demonstrates that high-congruence CrM campaigns positively affect individuals with high Persuasion Knowledge, whereas low-congruence campaigns generate negative effects in this group. Study 2 reinforces these findings, highlighting the moderating role of Persuasion Knowledge, where Attitude Toward the Advertisement influences behavioral variables, while Attitude Toward the Brand does not necessarily have the same effect. Study 3 assesses brand strength by controlling a single brand with different causes and examining additional dependent variables such as Brand Equity and Word-of-Mouth. This study finds stronger effects among individuals with high PK, who exhibit heightened sensitivity to brand-cause congruence. These findings contribute to CrM literature by positioning Persuasion Knowledge as a moderating factor and emphasizing the importance of congruence in optimizing consumer responses to CrM initiatives. Additionally, this research extends previous studies (Isaac & Grayson, 2017) by examining Persuasion Knowledge in the context of CrM. For practitioners, these insights offer valuable guidance for CrM campaign planning, suggesting that selecting causes aligned with brand identity enhances campaign effectiveness, particularly among consumers with high Persuasion Knowledge. This targeted alignment has the potential to strengthen purchase intentions, brand perceptions, and the overall impact of CrM initiatives across diverse consumer segments.