Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026): Business & Management Studies: An International Journal
Articles

Interactive effects of product type and product-cause fit on attitude towards the brand in cause-related marketing (CrM) campaigns: The role of perceived CSR associations and consumers' altruistic orientation

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  • Volkan Özbek,
  • Mehmet Selim Dikici,
  • Mehmet Emin Akkılıç,
  • Ümit Alnıaçık
Volkan Özbek
Prof. Dr., Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Türkiye
Mehmet Selim Dikici
Assist. Prof. Dr., Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Türkiye
Mehmet Emin Akkılıç
Prof. Dr., Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Türkiye
Ümit Alnıaçık
Prof. Dr., Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Türkiye

Published 2026-03-25

Keywords

  • Cause-Related Marketing, Attitude Toward the Brand, Product Type, Product-Cause Fit, CSR Associations, Altruistic Orientations
  • Amaca Yönelik Pazarlama, Markaya Yönelik Tutum, Ürün Türü, Ürün-Dava Uyumu, KSS Çağrışımı, Yardımseverlik Yönelimi

How to Cite

Interactive effects of product type and product-cause fit on attitude towards the brand in cause-related marketing (CrM) campaigns: The role of perceived CSR associations and consumers’ altruistic orientation. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(1), 542-555. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i1.2733

Copyright (c) 2026 Volkan Özbek- Mehmet Selim Dikici- Mehmet Emin Akkılıç- Ümit Alnıaçık

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Interactive effects of product type and product-cause fit on attitude towards the brand in cause-related marketing (CrM) campaigns: The role of perceived CSR associations and consumers’ altruistic orientation. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(1), 542-555. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i1.2733

Abstract

The present study investigates how product type (hedonic vs utilitarian) and product–cause fit (high vs low) influence the effectiveness of cause-related marketing (CrM) campaigns. It further examines the moderating roles of consumers' perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR associations) and their altruistic orientations. A 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design was employed, manipulating product type and product–cause fit through vignette-based scenarios. The sample consisted of 289 university students recruited via convenience sampling. Hypotheses were tested
using independent sample t-test and two-way analyses of variance. The results indicate that neither product type nor product–cause fit individually exerted significant effects on brand attitudes; however, their interaction yielded meaningful differences. When CSR associations and altruistic orientation were introduced as covariates, group differences in brand attitudes became more pronounced. These findings provide insights into the contextual dynamics that determine CrM effectiveness. The study concludes by discussing theoretical implications and offering practical recommendations for managers seeking to enhance CrM campaign outcomes and for researchers interested in advancing understanding of consumer responses to socially responsible marketing initiatives.

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