Cause-Related Marketing Strategies and Consumer Engagement

Cause-related marketing (CRM) has emerged as a strategic intersection between commercial objectives and social impact, in which companies tie product sales or brand promotions to charitable causes. By aligning with social or environmental issues, organisations aim to enhance brand reputation, foster consumer trust and stimulate purchase intention. Central to the efficacy of CRM are factors such as the perceived authenticity of the initiative, the congruence between brand values and cause identity, and the clarity of communication regarding the nature and scale of contributions. Consumer engagement in this context is driven not only by direct incentives but also by emotional rewards, including warm-glow feelings, social identity reinforcement and the satisfaction of moral values. As digital platforms amplify the reach of cause campaigns, CRM strategies increasingly leverage social media storytelling, user-generated content and interactive pledges to deepen engagement. Globally, CRM has been applied across diverse sectors—from food and retail to technology and finance—with practical applications including limited-edition products that donate a portion of proceeds, cause-linked loyalty schemes and collaborative campaigns with non-profit partners. The body of research underscores the importance of transparency, strategic fit and targeted messaging to sustain consumer support and achieve measurable social outcomes.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Cause-Related Marketing Strategies and Consumer Engagement publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in cause-related marketing strategies and consumer engagement across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Cause-related marketing (CRM): A marketing strategy in which commercial activities are linked to a charitable cause, typically involving a donation or partnership tied to consumer purchases.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR): The broader concept encompassing a company’s ethical obligations to society, of which CRM is one component.

Company–cause fit: The degree of perceived alignment between a company’s image, values or products and the social or environmental cause it supports.

Warm-glow feelings: Positive emotional rewards experienced by consumers when they believe their purchase contributes to a socially beneficial outcome.

References

1. Corporate giving and its impact on consumer evaluations: A meta-analysis. Journal of Business Research (2023).
2. Cause-related marketing: a systematic review of the literature. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing (2022).
3. “We Go Together”: Understanding social cause-related purchase intentions of young adults. Journal of Business Research (2022).