본 연구는 기업의 마케팅활동에 대해 냉소적 태도를 보이는 성향이 강한 소비자들에게 있어 과연 공익연계마케팅 활동을 소개하는 기업광고 즉, 공익연계마케팅 광고가 기업에 대한 긍정적 태도를 유발하는데 있어 효과적인 수단이 될 수 있는가에 대하여 탐구했다. 본 연구의 목적은 첫째, 기존연구에서 일관되게 지적해온 메시지 강도(message strength)의 효과 측면에서 공익연계마케팅 광고의 메시지 강도에 따라 소비자의 기업태도가 결정된다는 점을 보이고 둘째, 그 효과는 소비자의 냉소적 성향에 의해 조절된다는 점을 보인 후 셋째, 냉소적 성향이 강한 소비자들에게 있어서도 상황적 조건에 따라 메시지 강도의 효과가 발휘될 수 있다는 점을 밝히는데 있다. 본 연구에서는 소비자의 냉소주의는 기업의 마케팅 활동에 대한 부정적 신념으로서, 마케팅 자극에 대한 소비자 반응에 영향을 미치는 소비자 단순이론(naïve theory)과 유사하다는 시각을 갖고 있다. 이 시각에 바탕을 두고, 냉소적 성향이 강한 소비자에게 있어 공익연계마케팅 광고의 효과는 곧, 냉소주의를 반영하고 있는 단순이론의 심리적 활성화 여부에 의해 결정될 수 있다는 점을 주장했다. 즉, 냉소적 성향이 강한 소비자의 경우에는 공익연계마케팅 광고에 포함된 메시지 강도(강한 메시지 vs. 약한 메시지)에 따른 차별적 효과가 나타나지 않지만, 광고정보의 처리과정에서 냉소주의 측면의 단순이론을 인출하고 활성화시키는데 필요한 인지적 자원이 부족한 상황에서는 메시지 강도의 효과가 나타날 수 있다는 점을 주장하고 다음과 같은 가설을 설정했다. 가설 1: 공익연계마케팅 광고가 약한 메시지를 포함하는 경우보다는 강한 메시지를 포함하는 경우, 해당 기업에 대해 더 긍정적인 태도가 형성될 것이다. 가설 2: 공익연계마케팅 광고의 강한 메시지(vs. 약한 메시지)가 해당 기업에 대한 긍정적 태도 형성에 미치는 효과는 소비자의 냉소적 성향이 강할수록 약화될 것이다. 가설3-a: 냉소주의 성향이 강한 소비자의 경우, 인지적 자원이 풍부한 상황에 비해 부족한 상황에서 공익연계마케팅 광고가 (약한 메시지에 비해) 강한 메시지를 포함할 때 해당 기업에 대해 더 긍정적인 태도를 형성할 것이다. 가설3-b: 냉소주의 성향이 약한 소비자의 경우, 공익연계마케팅 광고에 포함된 메시지의 강도가 해당 기업에 대한 태도에 미치는 효과는 소비자의 인지적 자원에 의해 영향을 받지 않을 것이다. 가설검증을 위해 서울 소재 사립대학교에 재학중인 260명을 대상으로 실험을 수행했다. 실험에서는 가상 기업의 공익연계마케팅 광고를 제작한 후, 광고에 대한 반응을 해당 기업에 대한 태도 측면에서 측정했다. 실험에서는 메시지의 강도(강한 메시지 vs. 약한 메시지)와 인지적 자원(고 vs. 저)을 조작했으며, 냉소적 성향은 설문응답을 통해 측정한 값(self-reported measure)을 사용했다. 그 결과, 강한 메시지를 포함한 광고가 제시된 집단의 기업태도가 약한 메시지를 포함한 광고가 제시된 집단의 기업태도보다 높은 것으로 나타나 가설 1은 지지되었다. 기업태도를 종속변수로 삼는 회귀분석을 수행한 결과, 메시지 강도와 냉소적 성향간 상호작용효과가 통계적으로 유의한 것으로 나타났으며 특히, 냉소적 성향이 약한 경우에는 메시지 강도가 기업태도에 긍정적인 영향을 미친 반면에 냉소적 성향이 강한 경우에는 메시지 강도의 효과가 통계적으로 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타나 가설 2는 지지되었다. 기업태도를 종속변수로 삼은 회귀분석에서 메시지 강도, 인지적 자원, 그리고 냉소적 성향간 삼원 상호작용효과가 통계적으로 유의한 것으로 나타났다. 추가적인 분석을 수행한 결과, 냉소적 성향이 강한 경우에는 메시지 강도와 인지적 자원간 상호작용효과가 통계적으로 유의했는데 인지적 자원이 풍부한 상황에 비해 부족한 상황에서 메시지 강도는 기업태도에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타나 가설 3-a은 지지되었다. 반면, 냉소적 성향이 약한 경우에는 메시지 강도와 인지적 자원간 상호작용효과는 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타나 가설 3-b는 지지되었다.

The present study explores whether cause-related-marketing ad, which refers to the advertising that introduces firm’s cause-related-marketing activities, is an effective communication tool to enhance firm attitudes for consumers who are cynical to firms’ marketing activities in general. Specifically, the present study aims to replicate the effect of message strength on the positive response to the advertised firm in the context of cause-related-marketing ad, to show that the message-strength effect is moderated by consumer cynicism in the manner that it is less evident for those with high levels of cynicism, and to reveal that the message-strength effect is also found for cynical consumers who lack cognitive resources. Based on the view that consumer cynicism reflects disbelief in the marketing activity and plays a role as a naïve theory in responding to the marketing stimulus, the present study argues that, for consumers who have high levels of cynicism, the effect of cause-related-marketing ad on firm attitudes is determined by the activation of the naïve theory. Specifically, it is argued that the cause-related-marketing ad that includes strong message versus weak message fails to produce more positive firm attitudes for those with high levels of cynicism, but that the message-strength effect is found when cynical consumers lack cognitive resources that are needed for retrieving and activating the naïve theory in terms of disbelief in the marketing activity. In line with the argument, the following hypotheses are developed. H1: Cause-related-marketing ad that includes strong (vs. weak) message will produce more positive firm attitudes. H2: The positive effect of strong (vs. weak) message on firm attitudes is more likely to be diluted for those with higher levels of cynicism. H3a: For those with high levels of cynicism, cause-related-marketing ad that includes a strong (vs. weak) message will produce more positive firm attitudes when they have low (vs. high) amounts of cognitive resource. H3b: For those with low levels of cynicism, the message effect on firm attitudes is not influenced by the amount of cognitive resource. An experiment was conducted for 260 college students who were enrolled in a major private university in Seoul. Two types of cause-related-marketing ads for a fictitious company were created as stimulus ads such as the one including a strong message and the other one including a weak message. The participants’ responses to the stimulus ad were measured in terms of firm attitudes. In the experiment, message strength (strong vs. weak message) and amount of cognitive resource (high vs. low) were manipulated, and cynicism was measured by a traditional paper-and-pencil method. The results showed that the ad including a strong message resulted in more positive firm attitudes than did the ad including a weak message, supporting H1. When a regression analysis was run on firm attitudes, the interaction effect between message strength and cynicism was statistically significant: message strength effect was significant only for those with low levels of cynicism, but not for those with low levels of cynicism, supporting H2. A separate regression analysis showed that the three-way interaction effect of message strength, cognitive resource, and cynicism on firm attitudes was statistically significant. It was found that, for those with high levels of cynicism, the interaction effect between message strength and cognitive resource on firm attitudes was significant in the manner that message strength had a positive influence on firm attitudes when the participants had low (vs. high) amounts of cognitive resource. Thus, H3a was supported. On the other hand, for those with low levels of cynicism, the interaction effect between message strength and cognitive resource was not statistically significant, supporting H3b.

The present study explores whether cause-related-marketing ad, which refers to the advertising that introduces firm’s cause-related-marketing activities, is an effective communication tool to enhance firm attitudes for consumers who are cynical to firms’ marketing activities in general. Specifically, the present study aims to replicate the effect of message strength on the positive response to the advertised firm in the context of cause-related-marketing ad, to show that the message-strength effect is moderated by consumer cynicism in the manner that it is less evident for those with high levels of cynicism, and to reveal that the message-strength effect is also found for cynical consumers who lack cognitive resources. Based on the view that consumer cynicism reflects disbelief in the marketing activity and plays a role as a naïve theory in responding to the marketing stimulus, the present study argues that, for consumers who have high levels of cynicism, the effect of cause-related-marketing ad on firm attitudes is determined by the activation of the naïve theory. Specifically, it is argued that the cause-related-marketing ad that includes strong message versus weak message fails to produce more positive firm attitudes for those with high levels of cynicism, but that the message-strength effect is found when cynical consumers lack cognitive resources that are needed for retrieving and activating the naïve theory in terms of disbelief in the marketing activity. In line with the argument, the following hypotheses are developed. H1: Cause-related-marketing ad that includes strong (vs. weak) message will produce more positive firm attitudes. H2: The positive effect of strong (vs. weak) message on firm attitudes is more likely to be diluted for those with higher levels of cynicism. H3a: For those with high levels of cynicism, cause-related-marketing ad that includes a strong (vs. weak) message will produce more positive firm attitudes when they have low (vs. high) amounts of cognitive resource. H3b: For those with low levels of cynicism, the message effect on firm attitudes is not influenced by the amount of cognitive resource. An experiment was conducted for 260 college students who were enrolled in a major private university in Seoul. Two types of cause-related-marketing ads for a fictitious company were created as stimulus ads such as the one including a strong message and the other one including a weak message. The participants’ responses to the stimulus ad were measured in terms of firm attitudes. In the experiment, message strength (strong vs. weak message) and amount of cognitive resource (high vs. low) were manipulated, and cynicism was measured by a traditional paper-and-pencil method. The results showed that the ad including a strong message resulted in more positive firm attitudes than did the ad including a weak message, supporting H1. When a regression analysis was run on firm attitudes, the interaction effect between message strength and cynicism was statistically significant: message strength effect was significant only for those with low levels of cynicism, but not for those with low levels of cynicism, supporting H2. A separate regression analysis showed that the three-way interaction effect of message strength, cognitive resource, and cynicism on firm attitudes was statistically significant. It was found that, for those with high levels of cynicism, the interaction effect between message strength and cognitive resource on firm attitudes was significant in the manner that message strength had a positive influence on firm attitudes when the participants had low (vs. high) amounts of cognitive resource. Thus, H3a was supported. On the other hand, for those with low levels of cynicism, the interaction effect between message strength and cognitive resource was not statistically significant, supporting H3b.

cause-related marketing, cause-related-marketing ad, cynicism, firm attitudes