Abstract
Consumer distrust is particularly salient in the context of the current mortgage crisis, and mortgage companies are looking for ways to change their image and regain consumer confidence. This study examines whether advertisements portraying a message of corporate social responsibility (CSR) might help financial institutions in enhancing consumer perceptions of the company. One hundred subjects were randomly selected from among the faculty and staff of a large American university. Subjects were exposed to advertisements, with or without a CSR message, for two well-known service organizations (JP Morgan Chase and Verizon). Results suggest that consumers harbor negative attitudes toward mortgage companies and skepticism about advertising from these companies, but that the inclusion of a CSR message can mitigate these effects, resulting in improved attitudes toward the company. Managerial implications are discussed.
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Appendices
APPENDIX A
Sample advertisement
APPENDIX B
Sample measures
Attitude toward the ad – adapted from Muehling30 – Cronbach α=0.89.
I think this advertisement is:
Company reputation – adapted from Johar31 – Cronbach α=0.98.
After viewing this advertisement:
Deceptiveness of the ad (misleading, deceptive) – adapted from Darke and Ritchie5 – r=0.98.
Honesty of the ad (truthful, honest) – adapted from Darke and Rtichie5 – r=0.93.
I think this advertisement is:
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Mattila, A., Hanks, L. & Kim, E. The impact of company type and corporate social responsibility messaging on consumer perceptions. J Financ Serv Mark 15, 126–135 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/fsm.2010.10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/fsm.2010.10