Karen L. Becker-Olsen

Achieving Marketing Objectives Through Social Sponsorships

The corporate social responsibility literature has focused on creating broad associations, such as simply being “socially responsible,” and on the simple transfer of positive affect from sponsored causes to sponsoring firms. Both views fail to recognize the power of social initiatives as a means for differentiating among socially responsible firms and, in particular, for reinforcing the brands positioning. The authors adopt a more traditional branding perspective and show that the fit between a firms specific associations and a sponsored cause can reinforce or blur the firms positioning, influence liking for the sponsorship, and bolster or undermine the firms equity. They also show that communications decisions can mitigate the negative effects of low fit. Finally, they show that sponsorship effects can persist for as long as a year despite day-to-day exposure to other brand communications.

I Spy a Sponsor: The Effects of Sponsorship Level, Prominence, Relatedness, and Cueing on Recall Accuracy

This study examines differential effects of sponsorship levels (anchor, mid-tier, low-tier) and individual exposure levels on sponsorship recall accuracy in a field study, providing validity for lab studies indicating that individuals rely on prominence and relatedness heuristics when identifying sponsors of an event. In addition, we examine differences in sponsorship recall accuracy when the response is elicited through free recall versus cued recall. The results indicate that free (or direct) recall is generally more accurate than cued recall that relies on reconstructive processes, but that this effect differs based on the type of sponsor in terms of its prominence and relatedness.

And Now, A Word from Our Sponsor--A Look at the Effects of Sponsored Content and Banner Advertising

As the number of Internet users increases daily, Internet advertising grows in importance as one of the elements of the communications mix. Because of the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of banner advertising, many companies are seeking alternative formats for capturing on-line consumers. Through two studies, this research provides an empirical investigation of the effects of banner advertising and sponsored content on Web site communities and their advertisers.The studies demonstrate that Web communities and advertisersboth benefit from sponsored content. Specifically, sponsored content can be an effective advertising tool to engender positive response toward an advertiser and increase feelings of customer responsiveness, product quality, category leadership, and even purchase intention. In addition, there is evidence that these types of messages are processed differently, indicating to communications managers that program objectives should drive the decision as to whether sponsored content, banner advertising, or some combination of the two will be most effective.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of Corporate Social Responsibility Marketing Communications in Mexico and the United States: Strategies for Global Brands

This study examines the impact of marketing-oriented corporate social responsibility (CSR) communications on perceptions of the firm and its brands among consumers in two diverse cultures, economies, and political landscapes. The authors’ main hypotheses are based on global brand positioning theory, which posits that consumer perceptions are enhanced if the brand is viewed as global. In general, the results support the notion that multinational firms emphasizing global CSR efforts engender more positive perceptions across multiple dimensions. Yet regarding tactical issues, the results also show the importance of some specific needs according to local tastes and experiences. The authors provide implications for marketing theory and practice as well as future research directions.

Corporate Social Responsibility Communication in North America: The Past, Present and Future

Since the establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico, and the United States, corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts across borders have been encouraged. Although NAFTA itself has been heavily studied, the comparative development of CSR programs and their related communications across borders remain relatively unexamined. This chapter examines the historical development of CSR in the post-industrial United States and Canada and compares it to its development in Mexico. This historical perspective provides a foundation for understanding the current state of CSR communication and sets the stage for the future CSR communication across North America.