Exploring the effective restaurant CrM ad : The moderating roles of advertising types and social causes

Purpose This experimental study aims to examine the effectiveness of cause-related marketing messages that incorporate both text and visuals, as compared to messages comprised solely of text, on the attitudes and behavioral intentions of restaurant customers, and to see if the impact varies across four categories of social causes (health, animal welfare, human services and the environment). Design/methodology/approach This experimental study uses a 2 (type of message) × 4 (cause category) between-subjects design. Findings Restaurant messages that combine text and visuals are more effective than restaurant messages with only text in engendering positive attitudinal and behavioral responses. This paper also found interaction effects between advertisement type and cause category on individuals’ responses (i.e. attitudes and behavioral intentions). Practical implications The messaging strategies suggested by this research will allow the restaurant industry to capitalize on the value of cause-related marketing initiatives. Originality/value This research contributes to the hospitality literature by expanding the realm of research on effective cause-related marketing initiatives.