The effects of brand‐cause fit and campaign duration on consumer perception of cause‐related marketing in Japan

<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Purpose</jats:title><jats:p>This study's first objective is to experimentally examine the effect of brand‐cause fit and campaign duration on company and brand image, commercial objectives and buying intention as perceived by Japanese consumers. Second, the study aims to evaluate the moderating role of gender and participation in philanthropic activities on the impact of cause‐related marketing (CrM) programs in Japan.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title><jats:p>An experimental design was used with 196 Japanese subjects completing a survey online.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Findings</jats:title><jats:p>A high brand‐cause fit was found to elicit more positive attitudes toward the CrM program than campaign duration. Japanese female respondents were showing more favorable attitudes than men, confirming results in previous research studies conducted in the West. Previous participation in philanthropic activities was also found to increase positive attitudes especially when brand‐cause fit and duration were high.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Research limitations/implications</jats:title><jats:p>The experiment relied on fictitious advertising materials. Many respondents were students from the greater Tokyo area. This may make it difficult to generalize findings to a broader population.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Practical implications</jats:title><jats:p>Results show that CrM campaigns in Japan are viewed more positively when consumers perceive a good match between the brand and the cause. Japanese marketers targeting women and consumers with philanthropic experience are likely to benefit by supporting matching social causes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Originality/value</jats:title><jats:p>This paper is the first to contribute to better understanding of the impact of CrM in Japan. It does confirm the gender effect previously observed in western countries.</jats:p></jats:sec>