Advertising corporate social responsibility : Results from an experimental manipulation of key message variables

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how social topic information (STI) and corporate social responsibility commitment (CSRC) substantiate the firm's CSR claims and promote message persuasion. Design/methodology/approach – A 2×2 between‐subjects experimental design was used to examine the impact of STI and CSRC on output variables using an online sample of 176 participants in Australia. Findings – The study found that manipulation of STI had a statistically significant impact on outcome variables, but that CSRC did not. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to Australia and used a fictitious brand in the experiment. Practical implications – For marketing communications and brand managers, this study informs CSR‐based corporate image advertising. Social implications – Support for more socially responsible businesses through responsible consumption can potentially transform product attributes and markets. More effective CSR communication is critical to this response. Originality/value – To date, no research has examined how consumer persuasion of CSR advertising claims might be enhanced using message variables. This study has implications for theory and practice for the effective communication of pro‐social achievements, and suggests further research areas.