Seriously? I don’t mean to get all Kellogg GSM snotty about this, but this study is so lame that I might have to. The study from Professor Krishna of UM’s Ross School of Business says:
“Consumers who buy products that give a portion of their sales to charities are less likely to give direct donations to that same charity.”
Hmm. The study was based on 300 college students. College students DELIGHT in cause marketing- they kill two birds with one stone, they get to buy & give all at once and they can feel a little less guilty spending their loan money on cosmetics. This is a generation, however, that knows the red jackets, that actually rolls up their sleeves to volunteer and that sees interconnectedness in a way that few consumer groups do…. that AND cause marketers have gotten more savvy in their outreach- Facebook causes/landing pages, on going campaigns (Pepsi Refresh), events to compliment their campaigns (TOMS One Day without Shoes),etc. These 300 students sound like a bunch of duds…
These duds do not reflect the general population. The general post-recession population is a consumer group who is seeking authentic connections with brands and often having a consumption process as a channel for learning about causes and engaging further. Cause consumption and donations are not necessarily in competition rather they are often complementary.
Get a sample size that matters. Get a sample size that reflects the general public. And then I might be interested in your findings.
