The impact of cause-related marketing (CRM) in spectator sport

Abstract

Cause-related marketing (CRM) refers to the marketing strategy an organization uses to associate itself with a good cause. Even though CRM decisions may be partly charitable, they may also serve corporate self-interest. Although this area of inquiry is growing, CRM's strategic potential as an effective management tool for connecting sport organizations (i.e., teams) with consumers has not been thoroughly examined in a sport management context. In order to provide an improved picture of spectator sport consumers' perceptions toward a sport team's CRM initiatives, we developed a structural model that incorporates perceived CRM, attitudes toward the team, and re-attendance intention. Using LISREL analysis, the findings showed that CRM's effect on re-attendance intention was completely mediated through the attitude toward the team. In addition, perceptions toward the team's motive for CRM did not vary CRM's effect on attitude and behavioral intention. The lack of interaction effect might provide evidence that there may be universal appeal and effectiveness of CRM in a spectator sport context. Consequently, the findings provide a useful rationale for making managerial decisions about implementing and maintaining CRM efforts in sport organization.

Cause-Related Marketing and Purchase Intention toward Team-Licensed Products: Moderating Effects of Sport Consumers’ Altruism

“…Korean professional baseball teams have also initiated various CRM campaigns partnered with several social causes such as cheerleading, baseball, and mentoring classes for local youths and baseball day programs that provide an opportunity for the underprivileged to watch baseball games [27]. In conclusion, the CRM campaigns carried out by professional sport teams can be considered a promising means of communication that reinforces the sport teams' brand equity [11].…”

“…Extant studies have reported that CRM motive perceived by consumers affects brand attitude [10,11]. Consumers, in general, tend to interpret a firm's CRM campaign as a dichotomy of a cause-oriented or profit-oriented motive [12].…”

“…CRM refers to a marketing activity that enables companies to carry out economic activities and realize social values through strategic alliances with social causes [7]. Per the cause-related marketing literature, CRM improves corporate image [10], fosters a positive brand attitude [11], and enhances customer loyalty [9]. Also, to increase the effectiveness of CRM, it is reported that consumers' positive recognition of brand-cause fit and CRM motive should come first [9,12].…”

“…As a means of emphasizing the need for the introduction of CRM campaigns in the professional sport sector, Lachowetz and Gladden [17] suggested that the implementation of CRM by professional sport teams could reverse the negative perceptions sport fans have regarding teams due to players' banned drug use or player strikes and, in turn, could enhance favorable attitude and fan loyalty. The extant studies on CRM in professional sport revealed the consequences of CRM, such as elevated favorable attitude regarding teams [11,18], increased intention to purchase team-licensed products, and enhanced team loyalty [11,19,20]. The prior studies, however, seem to have limitations in considering sport fans' embedded altruistic tendencies when it comes to the effectiveness of sport teams' CRM campaigns.…”

The role of social responsibility, philanthropy and entrepreneurship in the sport industry

“…Several papers discuss the CSR related activities of sport organizations. First, Kim, Kwak and Kim (2010) consider the motives for cause-related marketing (CRM) in sports -an area that has received scant examination in the sport marketing context. The authors found justifi cation for at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.…”