Cause-Related Marketing: Is a Profit-Making Brand a Suitable Partner for a Charity Organization?

Abstract: Cause-related marketing is a marketing communication tool through which a company and its products are linked together with a charity organization. It has become a popular marketing strategy among companies in the US, and it is becoming more prevalent among companies in Sweden. The purpose of this thesis is to study if a cause-related marketing campaign affects consumers' perceptions of the partners in the alliance. The perceived level of altruism among the profit-making brands is the primary focus. Data was collected through online questionnaires. The analysis of the data showed that a cause-related marketing campaign did not change consumers' perceptions of the partners in the alliance. The results also showed that a brand's level of altruism did not have the expected effect on the cause-related marketing campaign or the partners involved.