When cause familiarity leads to positive attitudes toward brands in a cause–brand alliance: a cross-cultural study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose – Building on construal level theory and applying the hypothetical distance dimension, this cross-
cultural study (individualistic vs collectivistic culture) aims to explore the effects of cause familiarity on
individuals’ attitudes toward a brand and how cause–brand fit mediates this relationship. Furthermore, this
study explores how perceived betrayal moderates the relationship between cause–brand fit and attitude
toward a brand.
Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research design was adopted. Data collection was
performed through snowball sampling of French and Turkish participants (N 5 455). The collected data were
then analyzed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.
Findings – The results reveal a significant effect of cause familiarity on attitude toward the brand, wherein
one’s attitude toward fit in a cause–brand alliance serves as a mediator in this relationship. The results also
indicate that perceived betrayal moderates the relationship between cause–brand fit and attitude toward a
brand. However, when it comes to facing a global pandemic, culture has no significant effect on consumers’
perceptions and attitudes toward cause–brand alliances.
Originality/value – This research investigates the enhancement of attitudes toward a brand through an
alliance with a familiar cause and explains this relationship via attitudes toward fit in such an alliance.
Moreover, it provides novel insights into perceived betrayal as a variable that can lead to a more pronounced
relationship between attitude toward fit and attitude toward a brand.
Keywords Cause–brand alliances, Cause familiarity, Attitude toward a brand,
Attitude toward fit in a cause–brand alliance, Perceived betrayal, COVID-19
Paper type Research paper