Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility: Challenges ... · Corporate social responsibility...
Transcript of Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility: Challenges ... · Corporate social responsibility...
CommunicatingCorporateSocialResponsibility:
ChallengestoCompanieswithLowCompanyCauseFit
AmyScarlett
ACapstoneProjectPresentedtoTheFacultyof
theSchoolofCommunicationinPartial
FulfillmentoftheRequirementsfortheDegreeof
MastersofArtsinPublicCommunication
Supervisor:ProfessorLaurenFeldman
April26,2011
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Abstract
Thispaperexaminesstrategiesforcommunicatingphilanthropic
corporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)activitiesinpubliccampaigns.Academic
literaturepointstoseveralfactorsthatinfluencethesuccessorpublicapproval
ofsuchcorporatecommunicationefforts.Thisstudyspecificallyconsidersone
ofthesefactors–thatofthecongruencelevelbetweenthecompanyandthe
causeitsupportsinCSRactivities.Morespecifically,itexaminestwoexisting
campaignswithlowcompanycausecongruence,KennethCole’s“Awearness”
andLizClaiborne’s“LoveIsNotAbuse,”todetermineiforhowthisdetriment
canbeovercome.Resultsshowedthatothercampaignfactorsaremore
significanttothesuccessofastrategicCSRpubliccommunicationcampaign.
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TableofContents
INTRODUCTION 3
LITERATUREREVIEW 6WHATISCORPORATESOCIALRESPONSIBILITY? 6BENEFITSTOTHECOMPANY 8CONSUMERS&THEPUBLIC 9EMPLOYEES 10SHAREHOLDERS 11COMMUNICATINGCSR 11INFORMATIONSOURCE 13ATTRIBUTINGMOTIVETOCSRACTIVITIES 14COMMITMENTTOCAUSE 15COMPANY‐CAUSEFIT 16
METHODS 21CASEANALYSIS 21CONTENTANALYSIS 21
CASEPROFILES 24AWEARNESSBYKENNETHCOLE 24KENNETHCOLEPRODUCTIONS 24INTRODUCINGTHEAWEARNESSINITIATIVE 25CURRENTAWEARNESSCAMPAIGN 27CONTENTANALYSISRESULTS 31CRITIQUEOFCAMPAIGN 33LOVEISNOTABUSEBYLIZCLAIBORNE 35LIZCLAIBORNE,INC. 35CAMPAIGNHISTORY 36LOVEISNOTABUSECURRENTCAMPAIGN 37CONTENTANALYSISRESULTS 44CRITIQUEOFCAMPAIGN 46
DISCUSSION 48COMPANY‐CAUSEFIT 48CSRBEYONDCOMPANY‐CAUSEFIT 50STUDYLIMITATIONS&DIRECTIONSFORFUTURERESEARCH 52
CONCLUSION 53
REFERENCES 54
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INTRODUCTION
Corporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)isabusinessconceptwherebyacompany
seekstobehaveinsociallyandenvironmentallyresponsiblewayssothatitsbusiness
contributestosocietyinmeaningfulandlastingways(Hopkins,2007).Companiesare
incentivizedtoengageinsociallyresponsibleprogramsbecauseofthepotentialbenefitsto
business,whichincludebrandenhancement,marketdifferentiation,andemployee
satisfaction(www.dowelldogood.net).However,companiesoftenfailtoeffectively
communicatetheirCSRactivitiestotargetaudiences,whichcanhinderthecompany’s
realizationofthesebusinessbenefits.
Thereareseveralfactorsthatinfluencehowthepublicandothercompany
stakeholdersinterpretandrespondtoinformationaboutCSRactivities,suchasmessage
content,informationsource,perceivedmotivationsofthecompany,industryofthe
company’sbusiness,brandreputation,andnatureoftheirbusiness.Anotherfactorthatis
oftenemphasizedinacademicstudiesisthecompany‐causefit,whichreferstothelogical
connectionbetweenthebusinessfunctionofacompanyandthecauseororganizationit
supports(Simmons&Becker‐Olson,2006).Thisisthoughttobeimportantbecausewhen
company‐causefitislow,individualsengageinmoreelaborateprocessingasameansto
explainthecompany’smotivationsforsupportingaparticularcause.Whennoother
informationisofferedtosuggestalogicalexplanationforitssupport,individualscan
becomeskepticalofthecompany’struemotives,whichcanleadtonegativefeelingstoward
thecompany.Whileacompanydoesnothavecompletecontroloverallofthesefactors,
effectivecommunicationstrategiescanhelptocreateanddeliveramessagethatismost
beneficialtothecompany.
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TogainabetterunderstandingofhowtocommunicateCSRactivities,thisstudy
specificallyexaminesthefactorofcompany‐causecongruence,andhowlowcongruence
betweenacompany’sbusinessandthecauseitsupportscanbeovercome.Acompanymay
choosetosupportacausewithlowcongruencetoitsbusinessformanyreasons,including
responsetoacrisisordisaster,andpersonalinvolvementorinterestinaspecificsocial
domain(Menon&Kahn,2003).ByexaminingthevariousaspectsoftwocurrentCSR
campaignsthathavelowcompany‐causefit,thisprojectaimstodiscoverbestbusiness
practicestoeffectivelycommunicateCSR,sothatthecompanyreceivesmaximum
recognitionandbenefitforitsefforts.Ifcompaniescanrealizethebrand‐enhancing
benefitsofCSRactivity,itmaypromptmorecompaniestoinvestadditionalresourcesin
CSR.Suchinvestmentswouldbenefitneedycausesandwouldprovideanadditional
advertisingoptiontocompaniesthatmaybeinterestedindiversifyingtheirtraditional
marketandcommunicationoutreachstrategies.
ThecampaignsanalyzedinthisstudywereKennethColeProductions’Awearness
andLizClaiborne,Inc.’sLoveisNotAbuse.ThepurposewastodetermineiforhowaCSR
publiccommunicationcampaigncanovercomethechallengesoflowcompany‐causefit.
Manyfactorslimitthegeneralizabilityofthisstudy’sresults.Thedegreetowhicha
companyrealizesbenefitsfromitsCSRactivitiescanbemoderatedbyanumberof
contingencyfactors(Bhattacharya,Korschun,&Sen,2009).Themostimportantofthese
arecharacteristicsofthecompany,whichincludethecompany’sreputation,andthe
industryinwhichitoperates;thisstudydidnotexaminethesecharacteristics.Kenneth
ColeProductionsandLizClaiborne,Inc.,wereselectedpurposefullybecausetheir
businessesoperateinthesameindustry–retail–anditwasbelievedthiswouldestablisha
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fairbaselinefromwhichtocomparethetwocampaigns.However,specificitytotheretail
industryalsorepresentsalimitationtothestudy,becausefindingsmayonlybeapplicable
toothercompaniesinthatindustry.
Tobegin,areviewofrelevantliteraturedescribingCSR,aspectsandimportanceof
communicatingCSRactivities,andcompany‐causefitwillbediscussed.Next,methodology
forthecaseanalysesandmediacontentanalyseswillbedescribed.Then,acaseanalysisof
eachcampaignwilloutlinetherespectivecommunicationefforts,provideresultsofthe
contentanalysis,andofferaqualitativecritiqueoftheoverallcampaign.Thediscussion
sectionwillfollow,whichwillhighlighttheimplicationsoftheresultsforcreatingor
examiningfutureCSRcampaigns.Resultsfromthecontentanalysissuggestthatboth
campaignsneedtoimprovecommunicationtoinvolvethepublicincampaignefforts.
FindingsalsoshowedthatKennethColeProductionshaseffectivelysecuredcompany
recognitionfortheAwearnesscampaigninallmediacoverage,whereasLoveIsNotAbuseis
sometimesmentionedinthemediawithoutacknowledgementofthecompany’s,Liz
Claiborne,Inc.,participation.Finally,areasforfutureresearchwillbesuggested.
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LITERATUREREVIEW
WhatisCorporateSocialResponsibility?
CorporateSocialResponsibility(CSR)isaconceptofbusinessthatconcernsthe
importantrelationshipbetweencompaniesandsociety(Carroll,1999).CSRisbroadly
definedastherolethatacompanytakestointegrateresponsiblebusinesspracticesand
policiesintoitsbusinessmodeltopromotehigherstandardsoflivinginsociety,for
employees,andtheenvironmentwhilepreservingprofitability(Hopkins,2007).Academic
literatureandresearchonthepracticesofCSRbeganinthe1950s,anditsdefinitionhas
evolvedoverthistime.ArchieB.Carroll,abusinessmanagementprofessoratthe
UniversityofGeorgia,haswrittenextensivelyonthemanagementofbusinessethics,and
corporatesocialperformance.Asheexplains,corporationsareexpectedtofulfillcertain
responsibilitiesjustasprivatecitizensare.Hedistinguishestheseresponsibilitiesintofour
faces:economic,legal,ethical,andphilanthropic(Carroll,1998).CSRisbasedontheidea
thatcorporationsaremorethanjustprofit‐seekingentities,andthattheymustbe
responsibleforthesocietalandenvironmentaleffectsoftheirbusinessactivities(Lantos,
2001).ItisdifficulttodefineCSR,sinceitistechnicallyvoluntary(Carroll,1999),inthe
sensethatitisnotlegallyrequired,socompaniesarefreetointerpretitspurposeand
extenttowhichitisincludedintheirbusinesspractices(Matten&Moon,2008).
ThetwomainwaysthatcompaniesengageinCSRarethroughimplementationof
ethicalbusinesspracticesandengaginginphilanthropicactivities.EthicalCSRentails
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incorporatingresponsiblepracticesthatminimizethesocietalharmsofbusiness
operations(Lantos,2001).Therearemanywaysforcompaniestoimplementethical
businesspractices;theseincludeminimizingenvironmentalpollutionfrommanufacturing
facilitiesandprovidinghealthcarebenefitstoemployees.PhilanthropicCSRdescribesa
company'ssupportforacauseoractivitythatoccursoutsideoftheirbusinessoperations
butprovidesbenefittosociety(Carroll,1999;Kerlin&Gagnaire,2009).Companieswill
usuallychooseacauseororganizationonwhichtofocustheircontributions,whichcan
includedonationofequipmentortechnology,employeetime(volunteerism),ormoney
(Carroll,1999;Kerlin&Gagnaire,2009).Forexample,CiscoSystemsfocusesits
philanthropicCSRobjectivesonaccesstoeducation,humanneeds,andresponsible
citizenship(Kerlin&Gagnaire,2009).
UndertheumbrellaofphilanthropicCSR,therearedistinguishingelementsthat
drivemotivationforacompany'sinvolvementandactions;thesedifferencesare
representedbyaltruistic(intrinsic)andstrategic(extrinsic)motivations(Lantos,2001;
Matten&Moon,2008;Du,Bhattacharya,&Sen,2010).Altruisticmotivesarewoveninto
thecorporation'scharacteraspartofitsintrinsicinstitutionalvaluesandenvironment
(Matten&Moon,2008).Anexampleofintrinsicmotivesthatisfrequentlycitedinthe
literatureisBenandJerry'sHomemadeIceCream,whichdonatesaportionofitsprofitsto
causesthatthefoundersbelievein,likeeducationandgayrights(Lantos,2001;Hopkins,
2007;Kerlin&Gagnaire,2009;Duetal.,2010).Strategicmotives,however,areconsidered
moreofabusinessinvestment,wherecompanycontributionsareexpectedtoyielda
profitablereturn(Lantos,2001).Whateverthemotives,itiscertainthatCSRhasbecome
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animportanttoolformeasuringacompany'sreputationandpublicimage(Ellen,Webb,&
Mohr,2006).
Cause‐relatedmarketing(orcausemarketing)isatypeofCSRactivitythat"…
involvesacompany'spromisetodonateacertainamountofmoneytoanonprofit
organizationorasocialcausewhencustomerspurchaseitsproducts/services"(Nan&Heo,
2007,p.63).Inthisform,CSRhasapositiveimpactonsocietyandprovidesdirectbenefit
tothecompanythroughincreasedsalesrevenue(Nan&Heo,2007,p.63).Onestudy
reportsthat81percentofAmericanconsumerswantcompaniestogivethemthe
opportunitytopurchaseacause‐relatedproduct(Cone,2010).Throughtheirpurchasing
power,theyareinvestinginthecompany’sCSRinitiativeandfeelliketheyarecontributing
tothecause.However,otherstudiescautionthat"cause‐relatedmarketingcampaignsare
morelikelytobeviewedwithsuspicion,"becausethey"oftenexplicitlylinksupportofa
charitytoafirm'sprofit‐generatingactivities"(Barone,Norman,&Miyazaki,2007,p.
439).
ItisimportantforcompaniestocontinueinvestingintotheirCSRbecause“theCSR
conceptwillremainasanessentialpartofbusinesslanguageandpractice,becauseitisa
vitalunderpinningtomanyoftheothertheoriesandiscontinuallyconsistentwithwhat
thepublicexpectsofthebusinesscommunitytoday”(Carroll,1999,p.292).
BenefitstotheCompany
CompaniesengageinCSRactivitiestoinfluenceandimprovestakeholders'
perceptionofthecompany'simage.Companyorbrandimageisimportantbecauseit
ultimatelyprovidesthecompanyacompetitiveadvantagefortheirbusiness(Baroneetal.,
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2007,p.444).CSRisbeingmonitoredmorecloselynowthaneverbeforebecause
consumersareveryconcernedwithresponsiblebusinesspractices(Morsing&Schultz,
2006).ThisisevidentbytheincreaseinthenumberofyearlycompanyCSRrankings,such
asForbesMagazine's100BestCorporateCitizens,Ethisphere'sWorld'sMostEthical
Companies,theGlobalESG100byRiskMetricsGroup,andthedisclosureofactivitiesinthe
annualreport(Morsing&Schultz,2006).Companieshaveincreasinglyadoptedsocially
responsiblepracticesbecausethepublic,employees,andshareholdershavehigh
expectationsforthevaluesandconductofbusiness(Carroll,1999).Thesestakeholder
groupscanhavetremendousinfluenceonprofitability,soitisinthebestinterestofthe
company’sbottomlinetomeettheexpectationsofthesegroups.
Consumers&thePublic
Arecentstudyshowedthat85percentofconsumerssaysupportingacausethey
careaboutenhancestheirperceptionofaproductorcompany(Cone,2010).Beingviewed
asgoodcorporatecitizenscanfosterlong‐term,loyalrelationshipswithconsumers,who
seethemselvesasinvestorsinthecompanyorbrandwiththeirpurchasingpower(Duet
al.,2010).Consumersmayalsobewillingtopayapremiumpriceforproductsorservices
offeredbyacompanyengagedinCSR(Austin,Leonard,Reficco,&Wei‐Skillern,2006;Duet
al.,2007ascitedinDuetal.,2010).CSRprogramscanalsohelptoestablishapositive
corporatereputationthatmakesconsumersresilienttonegativecompanynews(Duetal.,
2007ascitedinDuetal.,2010).Consumerscanbecomepromotionalmechanismsfora
companyorbrandthroughpositiveword‐of‐mouthcommunication.Theinternethas
offeredamagnifiedplatformforthis,asconsumersareusingsocialnetworkingsitesto
communicatetheirenthusiasmforacompanyorbrandbecauseofitssociallyresponsible
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practicesorprojects(Duetal.,2010).However,thispowerfulvoicecanhaveanadverse
effectforacompanythatisnotmeetingconsumerexpectations(Austinetal.,2006).
Consumershavebeenknownto'punish'companiestheybelievearebehavingsocially
irresponsiblythroughproductboycottsandencouragingotherstodothesame(Austinet
al.,2006).
AstudybySenandBhattacharya(2001)foundapositiverelationshipbetweenthe
CSRactionsofacompanyand“consumers'attitudestowardthatcompanyandits
products”(p.225).Resultsshowedthatinformationaboutacompany'sCSRinitiatives
enhancedconsumers'evaluationsofthecompany.Inasituationwhereconsumershavea
choicebetweentwoproductsorservicesthatarerelativelythesame,thecharacteror
attributestheyhaveassociatedwiththosecompanieswouldbeaninfluencingfactorin
theirdecisionofwhichproductorservicetopurchase(Sen&Bhattacharya,2001).
Employees
Companiescanalsorealizebenefitsofsociallyresponsiblebusinesspractices
internally,amongitsemployees.Whenemployeesareawareoftheresponsiblepractices
andphilanthropicactivitiesoftheiremployeritcangeneratefeelingsofprideinthe
companyandleadtoincreasedemployeededicationtothecompanyemployees(Austinet
al.,2006).CSRcanalsoleadtoemployees’increasedwillingnesstooffermoretimeand
energytotheircompanies(Maignan&Ferrell,2004).Somestudieshavefoundthatjob
applicantsaremoreattractedtocompanieswithhighCSRratings(Turban&Greenning,
1996ascitedinMaignan&Ferrell,2004).Whenemployeesfeelthissenseofpridefor
theircompany,thisfollowsthemoutsideoftheofficeandtheycanbecomeapromotional
assettothecompany,servingasambassadorsforthebrand.
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Shareholders
Shareholdersaremainlyconcernedwiththecompany’sfinancialbottomline.Their
interestinCSRrelatestohowitcandifferentiatethecompanyinthemarkettoincrease
companyprofits.Acompany'sCSRactivitiescanimproveitsreputationbecauseit
establishesasocialvalueofthecompany,whichcanbeadistinguishablequalitythathelps
setitapartfromcompetitors(Austinetal.,2006).Thus,shareholdersbenefitfromCSR
programsbecauseoftheirinfluenceonconsumerpurchasingbehaviorandpotentialto
increaseemployeeproductivity.Thecompanyannualreportprovidesanoutletfora
companytoshareinformationwithshareholdersaboutthebusinessoperationsand
financialsuccessofthecompanyinthepreviousyear.CSRactivitiesareoften
communicatedtoshareholdersthroughtheannualreportoraseparatecorporate
responsibilityreport.
Beforeacompanycanrealizethesebenefits,internalandexternalaudiencesmust
beinformedaboutCSRinitiatives(Duetal.,2010).However,awarenessofcompanies'CSR
activitiesiscurrentlylowamongpublicandcompanystakeholders(Duetal.,2010).This
provesaneedforeffectivecommunicationstrategies.
CommunicatingCSR
AdisconnectincommunicationbetweenCSRinitiativesandpublicawarenesswill
impedeanypotentialbenefitstoacompany;so,itisimportanttointelligentlyand
strategicallycommunicatethistothepublic(Maignan&Ferrell,2004;Morsing&Schultz,
2006).Thenewsmediaareavailabletoreportbusinessscandalstothepublic,butitisthe
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company'sresponsibilitytoinformthepublicaboutthegoodthingsthatitdoes.Aswith
anypubliccommunicationcampaign,itisfirstimportanttoidentifytheobjectivesand
consideralloftheaspectsthatcontributetoasuccessfulmessage.Thedesiredoutcomefor
communicatingCSRinitiativesistoensureallofthepossiblebenefitstothecompanyare
achieved.Inordertogeneratefavorableattributionforacompany'sCSRprogramsitis
necessarytocommunicatethecompany'smotivationbehinditsinvolvement,explainthe
reasonforchoosingthatparticularcause,anditscommitmenttothecause(Duetal.,2010).
TherearedifferentmethodsforcompaniestocommunicatetheirCSRdependingon
theaudiencetheyaretryingtoreach.Thespecificaudienceisidentifiedbywhothe
companyistryingtoinfluencewithinformationaboutthegooddeedstheydo.
Communicationwithshareholdersandinvestorsisfocusedonthecompany’sAnnual
Report,whichincludesfinancialdata(Duetal.,2010).Throughpressreleases,the
companycanattractmediaattentiontotheirCSRprograms.Internalcommunicationwith
companyemployeescanoccurthroughmanychannelsincludingemail,newsletters,and
internalwebportalsandcanemphasizeincludingtheminthecompany’sCSRinitiatives.
Forcompanieswhosellconsumerproducts,itspurposeistoinfluenceandimprovethe
publicimageofthecompany,andsometimesthisisdonethroughtraditionalmarketing
channels,suchastelevisioncommercials,printadvertisements,billboardadvertisements,
andproductpackaging.Internetcommunicationsofferopportunitiestoengageandshare
informationwithvastaudiences.Dedicatingasectionofthecompany’swebsitetoCSR
informsvisitorsofitsinitiatives,andincorporatingsocialnetworkingsites(e.g.Facebook
andTwitter)intothecommunicationplaninvitesconsumerstojointhecompanyin
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supportofthecause(Duetal.,2010).ThispaperfocusesonCSRcommunicationtothe
generalpublic.
Advocacyadvertisingandcausepromotionaretwoapproachesforcommunicating
CSR(Menon&Kahn,2003).Throughadvocacyadvertising,acompanyprovidesaresource
toacauseorphilanthropicorganizationanditsinvolvementiscommunicatedthrough
channelsthatfocusonthecauseorphilanthropicorganizationratherthanonthecompany
(Menon&Kahn,2003).Causepromotionencouragesaudiencestopurchaseaproductthat
willbenefitthecause;thisisalsocalledcausemarketing.MenonandKahn(2003)argued
thatwhenacompanydoesnotadvertiseinawaythatshowshowthecompanyitself
benefits,thistriggersmoreelaborateprocessingbythemessagereceivertounderstandthe
actualmotivesofthecompany.Instead,causepromotionshowsanobviouscompany
motivetoselltheirproduct.MenonandKhan“foundthatcausepromotionsyieldedhigher
ratingsofCSRthanadvocacyadvertising”(2003,p.325).Theyattributedtheseresultsto
theideathatitwaseasiertounderstandacompany’ssupportforacausewhentheysaw
thebusinessbenefitfromsellingtheproduct;however,advocacyadvertisingfocusing
solelyonthecauseledtomoreelaboratecognitiononthecompany’smotivesfor
promotion.
InformationSource
Thesourcefromwhichapersonreceivesinformationcanaffecthowthat
informationisinterpretedandvalued(Yoon,Gürhan‐Canli,&Schwarz,2006;Simmons&
Becker‐Olson,2006).Acompany’sCSRcanbecommunicatedbythecompanyitselforbya
thirdparty.Informationfromthecompanycanbemadeavailablethroughadvertising,
pressreleases,orthecompany’swebsite.Thirdpartysourcesrepresentreportingonthe
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CSRactivitiesbyindividualsnotassociatedwiththecompany,likejournalistsandopinion
leaders.Informationsourcecanalsoaffecttheperceivedsincerityofacompany’smotives
toparticipateinCSRactivities(Yoonetal.,2006).LearningaboutCSRactivitythrough
companyadvertisinglowerstheperceivedsincerityofthecompany’smotivesforengaging
intheCSRactivity.Advertisementsarealsopotentiallydangerousbecausetheybring
attentiontofundsthatthecompanycouldbespendingonthecause.However,ifa
company’scontributiontotheCSRcausefarexceedsitsspendingonadvertising,the
negativeconsequencesforthecompany’sself‐promotioncanbeovercome.Simmonsand
Becker‐Olson’sstudyshowedthatattitudesweremorefavorableofsponsorshipswhenthe
informationsourcewasthenonprofitorcauseorganizationratherthanthecompany
(2006,p.162).
AttributingMotivetoCSRActivities
Themotivationdrivingacompany'sparticipationinCSRisimportantbecausethe
publicrelatesmotivetothecompany'scharacter(Sen&Bhattacharya,2001).Whilethe
publicusuallyhasapositivereactiontomessagesaboutcompanies'ethicalandsocially
responsibleactivities,therearecertaincircumstancesthatcanleadtoaboomerangeffect
oftheintendedmessage(Morsing&Schultz,2006).Consumersunderstandthatinorder
tofunction,acompanymustfirstbeconcernedwithitsfinancialbottomline(Ellenetal.,
2006).Becauseofthisunderstanding,ifacompanydisclosespurelyaltruisticmotivesfor
itsCSRinitiative,thepubliccanfeelmanipulatedordeceived(Forehand&Grier,2003as
citedinDuetal.,2010).Inmostcases,altruisticmotivesarenotexpectedorbelievableand
cangenerateasenseofdistrustinthecompany,possiblytriggeringpublicskepticismabout
theactualmotivesforCSRparticipation(Ellenetal.,2006).ConsumerskepticismofCSR
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involvementcanbeavoidedbyacknowledgingandexplainingthestrategicbenefittothe
company(Ellenetal.,2006).
ResearchconductedbyEllen,Webb,andMohr(2006)examinedtheinfluenceof
consumers'attributionsofacompany'sCSRinitiativesontheirtrustinthecompanyand
howthatextendstotheirintenttopurchaseaproductfromthatcompany.Study
participantswereaskedtoevaluateCSRinitiativesbasedontheperceived“self‐centered”
(strategicandegoistic)and“other‐centered”(values‐drivenandstakeholder‐driven)
motivationsofthecompanyandthenindicatetheirlikelihoodtopurchase.Resultsshowed
thatconsumersstillhadapositiveperceptionofthecompanywheninformationwasmade
availableforthemtoattributecompanyCSRparticipationtoacombinationofbothvalues‐
drivenandstrategicreasons.Thisillustratesthatconsumershaveacomplexcognitionof
thereasonswhyacompanyparticipatesinCSRactivities,andunderstandtherecanbea
varietyofreasonsthatinfluencethesemotives(Ellenetal.,2006).
CommitmenttoCause
Acompany’scommitmenttothecauseitsupportsthroughCSRcanbeassessedin
termsoflongevityandimpact(Maignan&Ferrell,2004).Thelengthordurationof
commitmentisimportantbecauseasEllenetal.’sstudyfound,“Whencommitmentwas
onlyforashortperiodoftime,[consumers]thoughtthatthecompanywasparticipating[in
CSR]onlytomeetothers’expectationsinsteadofactingontheprinciplesofthe
organization”(Ellenetal.,2006,p.154).OneofthepurposesofreportingCSRisto
enhancetheimageofacompany’scharacter,butthiscannotbeachievedifitsparticipation
isperceivedtobeinsincere;long‐termcommitmentstoCSRactivitieswillprovide
credibilityofthecompany’smotives.Impactofcommitmentdescribestheoutcomeor
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effectthattheCSRinitiativehasonthecauseitsupports(Maignan&Ferrell,2004).The
publicandcompanystakeholdersexpectcompaniestoengageinacausewhereitcanbe
mosteffectiveand“havethemostimpact”(Duetal.,2010,p.16).Bhattacharya,Korschun,
andSen(2009)explainthat“animportantaspectofstakeholderperceptionsofCSR
initiativesisthedegreetowhichinitiativesareseentobeeffectiveinbenefittingthecause
beneficiariesand/orsociety”(p.261).Therefore,aCSRcommunicationstrategyshould
includereportingtheimpactorresultsofthecompany’seffortsinordertohavethe
optimaleffectonstakeholderperceptionofthecompany.
Company‐CauseFit
Thecompany‐cause“fit”describestheperceivedcongruencebetweenacompany
andthecauseororganizationitsupports(Simmons&Becker‐Olson,2006).This
congruenceisthedegreetowhichtheirassociationmakeslogicalsense,basedonthe
connectionbetweenthecompany'sbusinessfunctionandthecause.Ifthislogical
connectionexists,peoplearemorelikelytoattributeitsCSRactivitiestothecompany's
“desiretohelpthecauseandtobuildrelationshipswithcustomersratherthanfor
excessiveprofiteering”(Ellenetal.,2006,p.154).Researchhasindicatedthatthefitofthe
companytothecausecanaffectthepurchasingintentionsofconsumers(Ellenetal.,2006).
Thelevelofcongruencebetweenthecompanyandthecauseaffectshowtheactionsofthe
companyareperceived,whichcanthenaffectapprovaloftheactivity.The“fit”canbe
furtherdistinguishedbythedegreeoffitandtypeoffit.Degreeof“fit”isdescribedin
termsofeither“high‐fit”or“low‐fit.”High‐fitmeansthatthereisanobviousconnection
betweenthecompanyandthecause,andcanbeviewedasbeingconsistentwithwhatis
expectedfromthatcompany.Whenfitishigh,thisreinforcestheperceivedimageofthe
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brandorcompany(Simmons&Becker‐Olson,2006,p.160).Whilelow‐fitdescribesalow
levelofobviouscongruencebetweenthecompanyandthecauseandisthusnotconsistent
withexpectedbehaviorfromthecompany.
Company‐causefittypeisdifferentiatedbytwogeneraltypes:functionalandimage.
Functionalfitrelatesthecompany’sbusinessproductioncapabilitiestothetypeofcauseor
organizationsupported(Alcañiz,Cáceres&Pérez,2010).Imagefitregardsthecorrelation
betweenthecompany’scharacterorreputationandtheimageofthecharitable
organizationorcausethatitsupports.
MenonandKahnidentifyfourdimensionsofassociationfromwhichpeoplecan
perceivecongruencebetweenthecompanyandcause,theseinclude:(1)product
dimensions,(2)affinitywithspecificaudience,(3)establishedcorporateimageassociated
withaspecificsocialdomain,and(4)thecompany’spersonalinvolvementinasocial
domain(2003,p.318).Productdimensionsrefertocongruencebetweenproductsor
servicesthecompanysellsandthecauseitsupports;anexampleisagrocerystorethat
donatestoafoodbank.Affinitywithaspecificaudiencedescribesacompany’s
sponsorshipofacausethatrelatestoitsmainconsumerbase,forexample,achildren’s
clothingcompanydonatesmoneytoprimaryeducation.Establishedcorporateimage
associationsaredefinedbythecompany’spastconductinsupportingaspecificcause,for
example,theBodyShop’sparticipationwithenvironmentalprotectioncauses(Menon&
Kahn,2003).Personalinvolvementofthecompanyreferstosponsorshipofacausefor
reasonsrelatingtoapersonalconnectiontothecausefromsomeonewithinthecompany;
forexampleifthecompany’schiefexecutiveofficerhasachildwithautismandthe
companysponsorsAutismSpeaks.Someofthesedimensionscanbemadewithcommon
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knowledgeofproductorcompany;however,insomecircumstancesaconsumermayneed
morein‐depthknowledgeofacompanytobeabletorecognizeitsassociationformedwith
acausebecauseofitsestablishedcorporateimageandforpersonalinvolvement.
NanandHeo’s(2007)researchestablishedabaselineconditionthatshowedan
actualeffectfromcausemarketingonconsumers’attitudestowardcompanies.Theyfound
thatregardlessofthecause‐fitlevel,anyadvertisementwithacause‐marketingcomponent
elicitedmorefavorableresponsesfromconsumers’attitudestowardthecompanythana
similaradvertisementwithoutthecause‐marketingcomponent(Nan&Heo,2007,p.
70).NanandHeoalsoidentifiedbrandconsciousness,anindividualtrait,asamoderating
factoraffectingtherelationshipbetweencause‐fitandconsumers'evaluationofa
company.Thestudyfoundthatpositiveeffectsfromhigh‐fit(e.g.companyevaluations)
wereonlyrecognizedinsituationswhereconsumershadhighbrandconsciousness.When
therewaslowbandconsciousness(ornopreviousfamiliaritywiththebrand),therewas
noeffectoncompanyevaluations(Nan&Heo,2007,p.71).
SimmonsandBecker‐Olson(2006)examinedtheeffectsofhigh‐fitandlow‐fiton
consumers’evaluationsofcompanies.Inthehigh‐fitconditionoftheirstudy,AlpoPetfoods
supportedtheHumaneSocietyandinthelow‐fitcondition,itsupportedTheSpecial
Olympics.Resultsshowedthatconsumers’evaluationsofthecompanyweremore
favorableinhigh‐fitconditionsascomparedtolow‐fitconditions.Theyattributedthese
resultstothefactthatwhenfitislow,consumersengageinelaborateprocessingtomake
senseoftheconnection,andifnootherinformationisprovidedthisleadstolessfavorable
attitudestowardtheCSRactivityandcompany(Simmons&Becker‐Olson,2006,p.164).
SimmonsandBecker‐Olsonexplainedthathigh‐fitisimportantinacompany‐cause
19
relationship;however,theysuggestthe“negativeeffectsoflowfitcanbereduced(1)
throughcommunicationsdecisionsthatcreateperceivedfitand(2)byalteringthemessage
source”(2006,p.154).Creatingfitestablishesaheuristiclinkbetweentheotherwise
unrelatedorganizations.Thiscanbeaccomplishedbydonatingarelatedproductthat
evokesasharedassociationorbyprovidingamessagethatexplainshowthecompanyfits
withthecause(Simmons&Becker‐Olson,2006,p.161).Alteringthemessagesource
mightincludeathirdpartyreportingontheCSRactivitytoprovideobjectivityand
legitimacytothecompany’sprogram.
Barone,Norman,andMiyazaki(2007)studiedtheeffectsofcompany‐causefiton
consumerevaluationsofcompanies,specificallyintheretailindustry.Theirresearch
foundthattheinfluenceofcompany‐causefitonconsumers'evaluationofcompaniesis
contingentonotherfactors,suchasmotive,andattitudetowardthecause.Examining
high‐fitconditions,companyevaluationsdifferedbasedonconsumers'attributionof
motive;whenapositivemotivewasattributedtoacompany'scausemarketingeffort,
companyevaluationsimproved;however,whenmotivewasperceivedlessfavorably,so
wasthecompanyinevaluations(Baroneetal.,2007,p.444).Anotheraspectoftheirstudy
showedthatwhencompanieschoseanunpopularcause,higherlevelsoffithelpedthe
companyovercomeeffectsofchoosinganunpopularcause;however,thisdidnotprovide
anyadditionalbenefittothecompanyevaluations.
TheliteraturereviewedexplainsthatvariouselementsofCSRcanaffecthowthe
activityisperceivedbythepublicandotherstakeholders,including,attributionof
companymotive,company’scommitmenttothecause,sourceofinformation,andthetype
20
andlevelofcompany‐causefit.Thisstudyhighlightstheroleofcompany‐causefit.Based
ontheexistingresearch,itisexpectedthatlowcompany‐causefit,inthecasesofKenneth
Cole’sAwearnessandLizClaiborne’sLoveIsNotAbuse,willhinderthepotentialbenefits
realizedbythecompanyforitsCSRactivities.Thefollowingresearchteststhis
expectation,inordertodeterminetheimportanceofcompany‐causefitrelativetoother
elementsinaCSRcampaign.
21
METHODS
Researchforthispaperconsistedofaqualitativecaseanalysisandamediacontent
analysisofmediacoverageofKennethCole’sAwearnessandLizClaiborne’sLoveIsNot
Abusecampaigns.
CaseAnalysis
Thecaseanalysisincludedinformationaboutthecompany,achronological
developmentofthecampaign,andadescriptionandcriticalanalysisofcurrentcampaign
programsandpractices.Reviewingeachcampaign'sevolutionovertimeprovidedabasis
fortherationaleofitscurrentpractices.Anexaminationofthecampaign’scurrentpublic
communicationpracticesofferedinsightofwhattheyareeffectivelyaccomplishing,and
whataccordingtotheacademicliterature,theycouldbedoingbettertoassuremaximum
benefitstothecompany.
ContentAnalysis
Acontentanalysisofmediawasconductedforthisstudy.Thepurposeofthis
contentanalysiswastodeterminewhatinformationwasabouttheseCSRcampaignswas
reportedbythenewsmedia.MediacoverageofCSRissignificantbecauseofitspotentialto
reachvastaudiencesandbecauseCSRinformationreportedbyanobjectivesource(i.e.not
thecompany)isperceivedasmorecrediblethaninformationfromthecompany(through
advertising)(Yoonetal.,2006).Elementsexaminedinthecontentanalysisincluded:
relevancetotherespectivecampaign,typeofpublication,mentionofcompanynamein
22
associationwiththeCSRcampaign,inclusionofinformationtoinvolvethepublicinthe
campaign(i.e.,throughproductpurchaseorfurtherinformationseeking),descriptionof
thecampaign’simpactoreffectivenesstohelpthecause,andmentionofcongruence
betweenthecompanyandthecause(cause‐fit).Thefollowingisadetaileddescriptionof
howmediacontentwasselectedforanalysis.
MediacoverageofbothcampaignswaslocatedusingLexisNexisAcademicand
Factivaonlinedatabases.Coverageofbothcampaignswasexaminedfromanequalperiod
ofthreeyearsandtwomonths,toestablishabaseforcomparableanalysisofmediaresults.
MediacontentforanalysisoftheAwearnesscampaignwasfoundfromapower
searchonthenewsarchivewebsiteLexisNexisAcademicforAllNews(English),usingthe
searchterm“awearness.”AFactivasearchidentifiednewsarticlesthatincludedthetext
“awearness”intheEnglishlanguage.Thesearchyieldedthefollowingtypesofmedia:
newspaperarticles,magazinearticles,blogarticles,newsletters,webpublications,and
mediatranscripts.SearchresultswerespecifiedforthedaterangebetweenJanuary1,
2008andMarch1,2011.Thisstartdatewaschosenbecauseitwasshortlyafterthe
campaignlaunch,butbeforethereleaseoftheAwearnessBook,whichwasthefirstlarge
eventofthecampaign.Aftersearchresultswerefilteredforduplicatesandpressreleases,
theLexisNexissearchyielded64articlesandtheFactivasearchproduced41articles.Then,
resultsfromdatabasesearcheswerecomparedtoidentifysimilarfindings;atotalof32
articleswerefoundinbothsearches.Anadditional32articleswereprovidedexclusively
byLexisNexisand9byFactiva.ThetotalnumberofarticlesultimatelycodedforAwearness
was73(32+32+9).
23
MediacontentforanalysisoftheLoveIsNotAbuse(LINA)campaignwasfoundfrom
apowersearchonthenewsarchivewebsiteLexisNexisAcademicforAllNews(English),
usingthesearchterm“loveisnotabuse.”TheFactivasearchidentifiednewsarticlesthat
includedthetext“loveisnotabuse”intheEnglishlanguage.Thesearchyieldedthe
followingtypesofmedia:newspaperarticles,magazinearticles,blogarticles,newsletters,
webpublications,andmediatranscripts.Searchresultswerespecifiedforthedaterange
betweenJanuary1,2006andMarch1,2009.Thistimeframewaschosenbecausethe
campaignreceivedanawardin2007anditwasassumedthatintheyearpriortowinning
thisaward,2006,therewouldhavebeengreatermediacoverageandthusmoremedia
contenttoanalyze.Aftersearchresultswerefilteredforduplicatesandpressreleases,the
LexisNexissearchyielded45articlesandtheFactivasearchproduced36articles.Then,
resultsfrombothdatabasesearcheswerecomparedtoidentifysimilarfindings;atotalof
28articleswerefoundinbothsearches.Anadditional17articleswereprovided
exclusivelybyLexisNexisand8byFactiva.Thetotalnumberofarticlesultimatelycoded
forLINAwas53(28+17+8).
Allpressreleasesfoundinarticlesearchresultswereremovedfromthecontent
analysisbecausethesourceofthesearticleswasthecompany(i.e.,sincethecompanyis
thesourceofthecontent,thereisnoobjectivity)andbecausethegeneralpublicdoesnot
readnewsreleases.
24
CASEPROFILES
AwearnessbyKennethCole
KennethColeProductions
In1982,designerKennethColecreatedafootwearcompany,thefirstofhismany
ventures(Colbert,2011a).In1994,thecompanyconvertedfromaprivatecompanyintoa
publiclytradedcorporation.Currently,KennethColeProductions(KCP)isamultinational
corporationthatproducesandsellsfootwear,apparel,andaccessoriesunderitsbrands:
KennethColeNewYork,KennethColeReaction,Unlisted,andGentleSouls(Colbert,
2011a).Itsvariousproductlinesaremadeformen,women,andchildren,andareavailable
toconsumersatanestimated5,500departmentandspecialtystores,110company‐
operatedretailandoutletstores,andthroughcatalogsandwebsites.DesignerKenneth
Cole(KennethCole)isstillamajorfigureinthecompany;asofMarch2011,heservedas
chairman,CEO,andChiefCreativeOfficerofthecompany.Colealsoownsmajoritystock
(about54percent)inthefirmand“controlsalmostallofthevotingrights”(Colbert,
2011a).
Fromthebeginning,whenKCPwasaprivatelyownedcompany,KennethColeused
productadvertisingasachanneltoadvocateforthesocialissuesthathepersonallycared
about.Hisfirstsocially‐consciouscampaigndebutedin1983andwasdesignedtoraise
awarenessaboutAIDS–acausethedesignercontinuestosupport–throughprint
advertisementsthatread“BuyonelesspairofshoesanddonatethemoneytoAIDS
research”(Colbert,2011a).Asthecompanygrewandeventuallybecameapublic
corporation,KennethColecontinuedtouseKCP’smarketingplatformtodeliveractivist
25
messages.In2005,KCPlaunched“WeAllHaveAIDS,”anotheradvertisingcampaign
intendingtoreducethepublicstigmaattachedtopeoplewhoarelivingwithHIV/AIDSand
toencouragefurtherpreventionandresearchefforts(KCP,2005).Thiscampaignincluded
salesoft‐shirtswithsloganssuchas“WeAllHaveAIDS”and“IHaveAIDS,”andpublic
serviceadvertisements.
KCPbelievesthatitsmostvisibleCSReffortshave“beenitsuseofmarketingand
advertisingasavehicletobringsociallyrelevantissuestotheforefront”(Cole,p.253).The
company’sadvertisingisdesignedto“strengthentheemotionalconnectionwith[its]
consumers”(KCPAnnualReport(AR),2010,p.2).Thismarketingapproachfocuseson
KCP’sproducts,“whilemaintaining[thecompany’s]uniquesocialvoice,toensure[it]
remainsbothrelevantandaspirational”(KCPAR,2010,p.10).
IntroducingtheAwearnessInitiative
Tocommemoratethecompany’s25thanniversary,KCPlaunchedtheAwearness
campaigninmid2007;aCSRprogramthatconsolidatedthecompany’sphilanthropic
activitiesintoonecharitableinitiative,dedicatedtocreatingpublicawarenessofsocial
causeslikeAIDSandhomelessness(Beckett,2007).Alongwiththecampaign,the
AwearnessFundwasestablishedasanonprofitentitytocollectandallocatethecompany’s
charitabledonations.AsColeexplains:
“ThroughtheAwearnessFund,[thecompany]willseektocontinuetoraise
awarenessforvarioussociallyrelevantissues,stimulatepublicdebate,andprovide
inspirationandopportunitiesforourcommunitiestogetinvolvedandgiveback”
(KennethColeProductions(KCP),n.d.).
26
Inlate2008,KennethColereleasedabookrelatedtothecampaign,Awearness:
InspiringStoriesAboutHowtoMakeaDifference.Thebookiscomprisedof86essays
writtenbyinfluentialpoliticalandadvocacyleadersaboutvarioussocialissuesandstories
designedtoencouragepeopletovolunteerforsocialchange(Cole,2008).
Inadditiontoitssocialmessageadvocacy,theAwearnesscampaignisacause
marketingoperation.Approximatelyonceeveryquarter,Awearnesschoosesacauseor
nonprofitorganizationtopartnerwithandfocusitssupport(KCP,n.d.).Thecauses
supportedvary;theyincludedisasterreliefeffortsandtwoprimaryorganizations,amfAR
andHelpUSA.TheFoundationforAIDSResearch,oramfAR,isaglobalnonprofit
organizationthatfundsAIDSresearch(www.amfar.org),andHelpUSAisanonprofit
organizationprovidinghousingandservicestohomelesspeopleintheUS
(www.helpusa.org).Throughthepartnershipsformed,KCPcreatespromotionalproducts
anddonates100percentofthenetprofitsfromitssalestotheAwearnessFund,which
thenmakesafinancialcontributiontothepartneringcauseororganization.Eachofthese
partnershipcampaignsincludesadvertisingcomponentsthatbringsattentiontothecause
ororganizationandpromotessalesofthepromotionalproduct.KCPalsoidentifies
“ChangeAgents,”whichareindividualswhoworkwiththecauseornonprofitandare
describedas“socialactivist[s]whostrivetohelpeducateandencourageotherstoget
involved”(KCP,n.d.).KCPconsidersthisinitiativeanimportantcomponentofits
marketingstrategy,andbelievesthattheprogramhasheightenedpublicperceptionofthe
company’sbrands(KCPAR,2010).
AninitialfocusoftheAwearnessinitiativewastoencouragevolunteerism;inlate
2008,thecampaignestablishedapartnershipwithVolunteerMatch
27
(www.volunteermatch.org),apopularonlinewebsitethatconnectspeopleinterestedin
volunteeringwithcausesandorganizationslookingforhelp(VolunteerMatch,2008).The
partnershipincludedavolunteerwebsiteaccessiblefromwww.Awearness.comand
poweredbyVolunteerMatchthatconnecteduserswithvolunteeropportunities
(VolunteerMatch,2008).Inaddition,selectKennethColeretaillocationsaddedin‐store
kioskswherecustomerscouldsearchforactivevolunteeropportunitiesbyenteringtheir
ZIPcodesandinterestareas.
CurrentAwearnessCampaign
KCPexplainsitsadvertisingconceptstoshareholdersasawaytoclearlydepictthe
brandas“thequintessentialmetropolitanlifestylebrandformodernmenandwomenwho
areconfident,cleverandcool”(KCPAR,2010,p.11).KCPdescribestheAwearness
initiativeasacomponentofthebrandthatdistinguishesandenhancespublicawarenessof
thecompany,itsproducts,andsocialissuesitsupports(KCPAR,2010).Thecampaign
currentlyconsistsofhostingevents,outdooradvertising,andsocialmediaplatforms.
Events
InJune2010,AwearnesspartneredwiththeHumanRightsCampaigntoraise
awarenessaboutlegislationseekingtorepealthefederalgovernment’slawagainst
allowinghomosexualstoserveopenlyinthemilitary,commonlyreferredtoasthe“Don’t
Ask,Don’tTell”policy(HumanRightsCampaign(HRC),2010).Thispartnershipincluded
salesofalimitededitiont‐shirtandhostingeventsatfiveKennethColestoresnationwide.
TheeventswereheldduringGayPrideWeekandpartoftheproceedsgeneratedfromthe
shoppingeventwasdonatedtotheHumanRightsCampaign(HRC,2010).Advertisements
fromthisinitiativeplayedofftheUSArmy’srecruitingcampaignforWorldWarIandII,
28
andincludedanimageofUncleSampointingoutattheaudiencetoaskfortheir
participation(AmericanTreasuresoftheLibraryofCongress,n.d.).Figure1showsan
invitationtooneofthecampaigneventsheldataKennethColestoreinNewYorkCityon
June25,2010.
Figure1:KCP&HRCRepealDon'tAsk,Don'tTell
Source:HumanRightsCampaign(2010)
Advertising
KCPoperatesitssignaturebillboardinNewYorkCityontheWestSideHighwayand
59thStreet(J.Moore,personalcommunication,March16,2011).Thislocationregularly
featuressocialmessagesfromthedesigneraswellaspromotionaladvertisementsforKCP
products.ManyoftheoutdooradvertisementsalsodirectviewerstoKCP’ssocialmedia
sitesformoreinformationandopportunitiestogetinvolvedinthecampaign’scause.The
29
campaignalsoadvertisesAwearnesspromotionstocustomersthroughitscustomeremail
list(J.Moore,personalcommunication,March16,2011).
Website
Initially,theAwearnesscampaign’sonlinepresencewasanextensionofKCP's
shoppingwebsite(KCP,n.d.).OnNovember5,2008,coincidingwiththebooklaunch,the
campaignestablisheditsowndomainnamefortheAwearnessinitiative,
www.Awearness.com(Beckett,2008).Itisunclearifwww.awearness.comwaseveran
independentwebsiteforAwearness,sincethisdomainnamenowlinkstoasectionofKCP’s
consumerwebsitethatisdedicatedtotheAwearnesscampaign.Asitexiststoday,the
AwearnesssectiononKCP’sshoppingwebsiteisusedtopromotethecurrentquarterly
campaign,offeringaplatformtosellthecause‐relatedproductsandtohighlightthe
recognized“changeagent.”
SocialMedia
InFebruary2008,KCPlaunchedablogwebsiteforAwearness,
www.awearnessblog.com(Lo&Mirchandani,2008).Theblogwasestablishedasa
platformforColetoraiseawarenessandengagediscussiononissuesrelatingtosocial
rights,well‐being,andthepoliticallandscape.Initially,theblogconsistedofregular
contributionsfromCole.Thegeneralpublicwasalsoinvitedtocontributetotheblog
conversationsafterregisteringtoparticipatewiththesiteandcreatingapersonalprofile
(Lo&Mirchandani,2008).Forunknownreasons,theblogisnolongeractiveoraccessible
ontheinternet;linkstowww.awearnessblog.comnowredirectstotheAwearnesssection
onKCP’swebsite.
30
TherewasalsoanAwearnessTwitteraccountassociatedwiththecampaign’sblog
website,@awearnessblog,whichwasintroducedonOctober15,2008.TheTwitter
accountofferednooriginalcontent,butwasinsteadusedtoconnectusersfromTwitterto
theAwearnessBlog.AlltweetsissuedfromthisTwitteraccountwerenoticesofnewposts
totheAwearnessBlog.Eachtweetcontainedaportionofablogposttitleandoffereda
hyperlinkconnectingtotheblogthatwouldallowareadertoviewtheentirepost.Asof
March10,2011,@awearnessbloghadsent1,114tweetsandhad653followers.However,
sincetheAwearnessBloghasbeendeactivated,therehasbeennoactivityformthis
accountsinceMay2010,andclickingontheselinksnowalsoredirectstotheAwearness
sectionofKCP’swebsite,www.KennethCole.com/awearness.Basedonthelasttweetfrom
@awearnessblog,itappearsthefinalblogpostoccurredonMay7,2010.
AwearnessdoesnothaveaFacebookpresence(i.e.,apagedevotedtothecampaign).
However,KCPhasacompanyFacebookpagethatwascreatedinFebruary2010that
sometimesreferstoAwearness(www.facebook.com/KennethColeProductions).Asof
March10,2011,theFacebookpagehad135,533peoplewho“like”thepage.Awearnesshas
beenmentionedbyKCPonitsFacebookpage13timesinitshistoryinpostsorcommentto
otherpeople’sposts;mostofthesewerepromotional,toreportanewAwearness‐related
productforsaleandtoofferinformationonhowtopurchasethisproduct(e.g.onlineorin
stores).
SeveralAwearnesscauseshavebeenpromotedthroughtheKCPFacebookpage.In
responsetothe2010earthquakeinHaitiandtheBPoilspillintheGulfofMexico,
Awearnesslaunchedproductswithaccompanyingadvertisementstoraisemoneyand
attentiontothedisasters(KCP,2010).InmidJune2010,Awearnesssponsoredacustomt‐
31
shirtdesignstoreontheKCPFacebookpage,allowinguserstochoosetheirown
combinationofvariousslogans,shirtcolors,andgraphics(KCP,2010).T‐shirtssoldfor
$35andwereavailableexclusivelyontheFacebookpage.Therewasalsoanoutdoor
advertisementthatread,“Wecanallcleanupwelltosupportthegulf”anddescribedthe
customt‐shirtsavailableforpurchaseandprovidedtheURLaddresstoKCP’sFacebook
page(Johnston,2010,seeFigure2).Thecampaignexplainedthatonehundredpercentof
thenetprofitsgeneratedfromt‐shirtsaleswenttosupportthegulfclean‐upefforts.
Figure2:KennethColeOilSpillBillboard
Source:Johnston,2010
ContentAnalysisResults
Theinitialcontentanalysissampleincluded73mediaarticles;ofthose,54articles
weredeterminedtoberelevanttoKennethCole’sAwearnesscampaign.Anarticlewas
consideredrelevantifthecampaignnamewasmentionedatleastonceanditwasin
referencetosomeaspectofthecampaign,suchasactivities,productpromotions,orthe
company(i.e.KennethCole).The54relevantarticleswerefurtherexaminedforadditional
32
characteristics,including:typeofpublication,mentionofthecompany,inclusionof
informationtoinvolvethepublic,anddescriptionofthecampaign’simpactoreffectiveness
tohelpthesupportedcause.Relevantarticleswerecomprisedofvariouspublicationtypes
including,41percentfromnewspapers,28percentfrommagazines,20percentfromblog
posts,and11percentfromothersources.
All–thatis,onehundredpercent–ofthemediacontentanalyzedincludedmention
ofthecompany,KCP,orthedesigner,KennethCole.Thisisanimportantfindingbecauseit
showsthatKCPisreceivingacknowledgementforAwearness’effortsinallofthemedia
coverageregardingtheCSRinitiative.AsNanandHeo(2007)found,causemarketing
programselicitedmorefavorableresponsesfromconsumersaboutacompany.However,
asBhattacharya&Sen,(2004)explained,beforethecompanycanexperiencethebenefits
associatedwithitsCSRactivities,consumersandthepublicmustbeawarethattheyexist.
EnsuringthatallmediacoverageofAwearnessalsoincludesthecompanyordesigner’s
name(i.e.,KennethCole)establishesaconnectionbetweenCSReffortsandthesponsoring
company.
AstheCone(2010)studyfound,consumerswanttobegiventheopportunityto
purchasecause‐relatedproductsbecausethroughpurchasingbehavior,theyfeellikethey
arecontributingtothecause.Inorderforconsumerstoparticipatethroughtheir
purchasingpower,theyneedtobeawareofthecause‐relatedproductpromotion.Media
coverageprovidesanopportunitytoinformthepublicofsuchpromotionalpurchasesand
howtheycanparticipate.However,theAwearnesscontentanalysisfoundthatonly44
percentofthemediacoverageincludedinformationonhowtheaudiencecouldget
involvedinthecampaign,thisincludedwheretheycouldpurchasethepromotional
33
products.Sincethepurposeofthiscampaignistocreateawarenessofsocialissuesandto
generatesalestosupportthecauses,itisimperativetothegoalsofthecampaigntoinvolve
thepublicand/orconsumers.Thischaracteristicwasdeterminedbytheinclusionof
informationaboutacurrentproductpromotionorevent,andfurtherinformationforhow
toparticipate(e.g.,website,stores,Facebook).Awearnessshouldmakeitamorefocal
pointtoincludeinformationonhowthepubliccangetinvolvedinthecause;mostly
throughpurchasingthecause‐relatedproducts.
None,orzeropercent,ofthemediacontentstatedorgavereferencetotheimpactor
outcomeoftheAwearnesscampaign’sefforts.Bhattacharyaetal.(2009)explainthatitis
importanttoreporttheeffectivenessofCSRinitiativesbecauseitprovidesvaliditytothe
company’sclaimthatitissociallyresponsible.TheAwearnesscaseanalysisalsofoundno
mentionofthecampaign’simpactoncausebeneficiaries.Thecampaignshouldofferfollow
upinformationonthenumberofcause‐relateditemssoldortheamountofmoney
ultimatelydonatedtotheorganizationsitsupports.
None,orzeropercent,ofmediacontentcontainedamentionofthecongruence
betweenthecompanyandthecausesitsupports,suggestingthatthiswasnotasalient
elementofthecampaignintheeyesofthemedia.
CritiqueofCampaign
KennethColeProductionsoperatesasafootwear,apparel,andaccessories
company.Accordingtothecompany,itsproductsare“targetedtoappealtomodern
fashionconsciousconsumerswhoseekaccessibledesignerfashionthatreflectsa
metropolitanlifestyle”(KCPAR,2010).Basedonthecompany’sbusinessproductionand
consumerbase,theAwearnesscampaignhaslowfunctionalfitwiththesocialcausesit
34
supports.However,KennethCole,thedesigner,hasestablishedtheKCPbrandasan
extensionofhimself,andassuch,thecausessupportedbyKCPthroughtheAwearness
campaignrepresentcausesthatKennethColepersonallycaresabout.Inthissense,ifthe
designerrepresentsthecompany’scharacter,thereisadegreeofimagefitbetweenKCP
andthecausesitsupports,because,asAlcañizetal.explain,imagefitisthecorrelation
betweenthecompany’scharacterorreputationandthecharitablecauseitsupports
(2010).TheassociationcouldalsoqualifyunderMenonandKahn’s(2003)dimensionof
congruenceasanestablishedcorporateimageassociatedwithaspecificsocialdomain,
sinceKCPhassupportedcausessuchasAIDSsince1983.
Duetal.(2010)explainedthatconsumersareusingsocialmediawebsitesto
communicatetheirenthusiasmforbrandsandcompaniesfortheirCSRefforts.Asa
strategicCSRcommunicationtool,theAwearnessblogallowedKCPtoshareinformation
aboutitsCSRactivitiesandservedtoengageitscustomersandthepublic.Bynothaving
thesetoolstoreachouttoitsconsumerbase,thecampaigncouldbesacrificingsupportand
salestobenefitAwearnesscauses.TheAwearnesscampaignwouldbenefitfrom
reintroducingsocialmediaplatforms,suchasFacebookandTwitter,intothe
communicationtactics.Thiswouldengageconsumerswiththecompany’seffortsand
possiblyencouragethemtogetinvolvedbypurchasingtheAwearness‐sponsoredproduct.
OtherdeficienciesintheAwearnesscampaign’scommunicationmechanismswere
foundinthemediacontentanalysis,theseinclude,limitedmentionofacalltoaction,and
absenceofinformationaboutthecampaign’simpact.Awearness’failuretoemphasizeacall
toaction,ortoprovideinformationonhowthepubliccansupporttheinitiative’scause,
representsalostpromotionalopportunitythatcouldadvancethecampaign’sabilityto
35
supportitscauses.Also,sincereportingtheimpactofaCSRinitiativegivesvaliditytothe
campaign’sefforts,Awearnesswouldbenefitfromreportingtheoutcomeofcause‐related
productsalesinnewsreleasesandadvertisements,includinghowmuchmoneywas
ultimatelydonatedtothesupportedcause.
LoveIsNotAbusebyLizClaiborne
LizClaiborne,Inc.
LizClaiborneInc.,(orLizClaiborne)isaU.S.basedfashioncompany.Thecompany
wasfoundedin1976byLizClaiborne,whodesignedstylishandaffordableclothingfor
workingwomen(Colbert,2011b).Atthistime,manywomenwerejustenteringthe
workforce.In1981,thecompanybecameapubliclytradedcorporationandby1990,Liz
Claibornethedesignerwasnolongerinvolvedwiththecompany(Colbert,2011b).
Currently,thecompanydesignsandmarketsclothingandaccessoriesformenandwomen
internationallyunderthegroupofbrandsitowns,includingLizClaiborneNewYork,Liz&
Co.,Claiborne,ConceptsbyClaiborne,KateSpade,JuicyCouture,andLuckyBrandJeans
(Colbert,2011b).
LizClaiborneengagesincorporateresponsibilityinavarietyofways,froma
commitmenttoresponsibleglobalworkingconditions,environmentalinitiatives,
philanthropicactivitiesthroughtheLizClaiborneFoundation,andthroughtheLoveisNot
Abusecampaign,itspublicinitiativetoeducateandraiseawarenessaboutdomestic
violenceandteendatingabuse(LizClaiborne,Inc.,n.d.).ThecompanyrecognizestheLove
IsNotAbuse(orLINA)campaignasa“long‐termcampaignthatuses[the]corporateprofile
36
andinfluencetoadvocateantiviolencemessagestothegeneralpublic”(LizClaiborne
AnnualReport(LCAR),2010,p.20).Thetargetaudienceforthiscampaignis“everyday
Americanswho,withtherighttoolsandinformation,canhelppreventviolent
relationships”(LCAR,2010,p.20).
CampaignHistory
In1991,LizClaibornelaunched“Women'sWork,”anationalprogramtosupport
localcommunityartprojectsdesignedtoraiseawarenessofthecomplexproblemsfacing
societyaswomenenteredtheworkforce(LizClaiborne,Inc.,1991).Initially,Women’s
Workwasanattemptbythecompanytoestablishasociallyresponsibleimageandto
improvetherelationshipwithitscorecustomerbase–women(CRT/Tanaka,n.d.).The
purposeofthecampaignwastocreateawarenessaboutdomesticviolenceandtoeducate
thepublicaboutwhattheycandotocurtailabuse.LizClaiborneexplaineditsinvolvement
andperspectiveashavingamoreseriousresponsibilitytocustomersbeyondmarketing
apparel,noting,“ouractiveconcernforimprovingthequalityoflifeforwomenandtheir
familiesisanaturalextensionofourongoingcommitmenttoqualityingeneral"(Jerome
Chazen,ascitedinLizClaiborne,Inc.,1991).
Theprogramgrewtobecomeaninclusivecausemarketinginitiative,selling
domesticviolenceawarenessmerchandisesuchast‐shirts,handbags,andjewelry,with
proceedsbenefittingdomesticviolenceorganizations(LINA,n.d.).Anotherpurposeofthe
campaignwastostimulateapublicconversationaboutthedangersandprevalenceof
domesticviolenceintheUS.Thepublicawarenesscampaigncommunicatedthrough
billboardadvertisements,publicserviceannouncementsfeaturingcelebrity
37
spokespersons,andtheestablishmentofanational24‐hourdomesticviolencehotlinethat
providedvictimsinformationforemergencyassistance.
In1998,theprogramdevelopedandprovidedafreeinformationalbooklettohelp
parentstalktotheirteenagechildrenabouthowtodevelophealthyrelationships,withthe
hopeofbreakingthecycleofdomesticviolence;itwascalled“AParent'sHandbook:How
toTalkToYourChildrenAboutDevelopingHealthyRelationships”(LINA,n.d.).By2003,
LizClaiborne'sWomen'sWorkcampaignwasknownbyitstagline,“LoveIsNotAbuse.”
Themainfocusoftheinitiativehadnowshiftedtoteendatingandrelationshipviolence,
andthecampaignwasnamedLoveIsNotAbuse.Thewebsite,www.loveisnotabuse.com,
waslaunchedaroundthistime,whichprovidedinformationaboutthecampaign’s
programs.Accordingtoitswebsite,asofFebruary15,2011,LizClaibornehadinvested
over$8millionineffortstoenddomesticabuse(LINA,n.d.).
LoveisNotAbuseCurrentCampaign
In2005,LizClaibornehiredanewpublicrelationsfirm,RuderFinn,tomanagethe
LINAcampaign(RuderFinn,2006).ThenewfocuswastopositionLizClaiborneasa
corporateleaderinsocialresponsibilityforitscommitmenttocurtailingviolenceagainst
women.
Thenewcampaignobjectiveslaidoutintheagency'scasestudywereto:
• Createawarenessabouttheprevalenceofteendatingviolenceandabuse
• ProvideclearvisibilityforLizClaiborneasaprivatesectorleaderin
developingandsupportingdomesticandrelationshipabuseprograms.
38
• DemonstratethatLizClaiborneisrespondingtothisnationalcrisisby
developingasubstantiveeducationalprogramthathelpsteensunderstand
andrespondtotheissue(RuderFinn,2006).
Theoperationalizationofthesecampaignobjectiveshasshapedthesubstanceofthe
currentLoveIsNotAbusecampaign.Thecampaignprogramsincludeeducationcurricula,
theLoveIsNotAbuseCoalition,It’sTimetoTalkDay,handbooks,andsocialmedia
platforms.
In2005,inpartnershipwiththeEducationDevelopmentCenterandBreakthe
Cycle,LizClaibornedevelopedaneducationalcurriculumtopreventteendatingviolence
(LINA,n.d.).Theoriginalprogramwascreatedforhighschoolstudents,andin2010,a
CollegeEditionwasdevelopedaswell.ThethreemaingoalsoftheHighSchoolEditionare
toincreasestudentawarenessofteendatingviolence,helpchallengemisconceptionsthat
supportdatingviolence,andtoincreasehelp‐seekingbehaviors.Therearefourdifferent
classroomlessonplansinthecurriculumthatincludehandoutsforclassroomactivities,
homeworkassignments,andbackgroundinformationforteachersaboutissuesofteen
datingviolence.Thelessonsinclude:(1)WhatisDatingAbuse?(2)ThePatternofAbusein
DatingViolence,(3)DigitalAbuseinDatingViolence,and(4)EndingTeenDatingAbuse.
TheCollegeEditionaddressesthedangersandwarningsignsofrelationshipabuse.This
curriculumisofferedexclusivelyonline,andprovidesinformationalresourcesaboutwhere
studentscanfindmorehelponcampus.Allmaterialsforthisprogramareofferedfreeof
chargeasdownloadsontheLINAwebsite.
LoveIsNotAbusehasmademanyattemptstoidentifythecampaigneffortswithLiz
Claiborne,toensurethecompanyreceivesdueacknowledgementforitsCSRefforts.Allof
39
thecampaignmaterials,suchasthecurriculum,andhandbooks,includetheLizClaiborne
companyname.Figure3isapictureofthecovertothehighschoolcurriculum.The
campaignnamedominatestheimage,however,thecompany’ssponsorshipisprominently
acknowledgedonthecover.TheothercampaignmaterialssimilarlydisplaytheLiz
Claibornecompanyname.
Figure3:LINAHighSchoolCurriculumCover
Source:www.loveisnotabuse.com
TheLoveisNotAbuseCoalitionisanationalgrassrootsorganizationofparents,
teachers,andotheradvocateswhoareworkingtoencouragemiddleandhighschools
acrossthecountrytoeducatestudentsaboutthedangersofteendatingabuse(LINA,n.d.).
TheLINAwebsiteoffersadownloadabletoolkitthatincludesstatisticalinformationabout
teendatingviolence,ageneralfactsheet,handoutsheetsofinformation,andsampleletter
templatesaddressedtoschoolsandgovernmentofficialstoencouragecurriculum
40
adoption.Italsoprovidesmaterialsforpeoplewhoareinterestedinbecomingmembersof
thecoalition.
In2004,LizClaibornehostedthefirstIt'sTimetoTalkDayasatimeforpeopleto
engageinmeaningfulconversationaboutteendatingviolence(LINA,n.d.).Sincesociety
oftenfailstodiscussthesecomplexanduncomfortableissues,thisisatimesetasidetotalk
aboutdomesticviolenceincommunitiesacrossthecountry.Theeventisheldannuallyto
promptandencouragepublicdialogueaboutteendatingviolenceanddomesticviolence.
Theeducationalhandbooksprovideinformationaboutteendatingviolence,and
guidanceforhowtodealwithit.Therearedifferentversionsofthehandbookstargeting
variousaudiences:teens,parentsofteens,parentsofchildren,coaches,fathers,and
mentors(totalktoboysaboutrelationshipabuse),andwomen.Allhandbooksare
downloadablefromthewebsiteorhardcopiescanbeorderedbysubmittinganonline
request.
TheLINAcampaigncreatespartnershipswithotheradvocacyinitiativesasa
mechanismtosustainvisibilityandawarenessofthecauseandLizClaiborne’ssponsorship
(Bruell,2009).In2007,LizClaiborneprovidedfundingtoestablishtheNationalTeen
DatingAbuseHelpline(www.loveisrespect.org).Thisorganizationprovidesresourcesfor
teenstoprotectthemselvesfromabusiverelationships,andincludesa24‐hourtelephone
helplineandawebsite,www.loveisrespect.org.InOctober2008,LINAcreatedMomsand
DadsforEducationtoStopTeenDatingAbuse(MADE),aneffortto“leverageitssuccess
andkeep[teendatingviolence]relevantinthemedia”(Bruell,2009).AnnandChristopher
Burke,teendatingabuseadvocateswhosedaughterwasmurderedbyherboyfriend,
assistedwiththelaunchandpromotionofMADE(Bruell,2009).
41
Website
TheLoveIsNotAbusewebsiteservesasachannelthroughwhichthecampaign
sharesinformationabouttheissueandmaterialstoengagethepublic.Alinktothesiteis
availableontheLizClaiborne,Inc.corporatewebsiteunderitsCorporateResponsibility
section(LizClaiborne,Inc.,n.d.).Thewebsite’shomepageshowsthecampaign’slogointhe
toplefthandcorneranddirectlybelow,intheleftpanel,isatwo‐sentencedescriptionof
LizClaiborne’sdedicationtothecauseofteendatingviolence.Thetoprowofthe
homepageshowstheothersectionsofthewebsitethatinclude:GetInvolved,MediaCenter,
GetHelp,FactsonAbuse,TheWarningSigns,EducationalTools,andIntheNews.TheGet
Involvedsection,encouragesvisitorstosupportthecausethroughtheirpersonalsocial
mediaprofilesandofferssuggestionsonhowthiscanbedone;forexamplebyfollowing
thecampaign’sTwitteraccounttorecruitfriendsandfamilyorbydownloadingweb
badges(seeFigure4)thatindividualscanposttotheirownwebsitestoshowsupportfor
thecause.Theseparticipatorysuggestionsengagethepublicinthecampaignas
spokespeople,generatingmoreattentiontotheissueandconnectingpeopletotheLINA
website.
Figure4:LINAWebsiteBadge
Source:www.loveisnotabuse.com
TheGetInvolvedsectionoffersinformationanddownloadablematerialsforpeople
interestedinorganizinganIt'sTimetoTalkDayeventintheirowncommunities.This
42
includesideasforhowtoengagethepublic,likeencouraginglocalmayorstohostanevent,
hostinga“walk”tosupporttheissues,orsendingaviralemailtofriends,familyand
communitymemberstoletthemknowhowtheytoocangetinvolvedwiththecause.The
CoalitionToolkitofferspromotionalmaterialstoassistcommunityorganizingforIt'sTime
toTalkDay;thisincludesdownloadablepostertemplates,asshowninFigure5,thatare
customizableforindividualcommunities.
Figure5:LINACustomizablePosterDownload
Source:www.loveisnotabuse.com
TheMediaCenterincludesanarchiveofthecampaign’spressreleases,datingback
to1991,atimelineofthecampaign’shighlights,resultsfromsurveyresearchonthe
prevalenceofteendatingabuse,andPublicServiceAnnouncement(PSA)videos.GetHelp
43
offersresourceinformationforteensoradultslookingforhelpfromanabusive
relationship,includinghelplinetelephonenumbers.TheFactsonAbusesectionprovides
informationaboutteendatingabuseforvariousaudiences,includingadults,teens,and
communities.TheWarningSignshaseducationalresourcesthataredesignedtoengage
teenageaudiencesandincreasetheirawarenessoftheissue.Thisisaccomplishedthrough
interactivequizzesthattesttheirknowledgeaboutteendatingviolenceissues,and
providinginformationtohelpthemrecognizewarningsignsofanunhealthyrelationship
(10WarningSigns).TheHighSchoolandCollegecurriculumaredownloadablefromthe
EducationalToolssection.Finally,IntheNewsoffersrecentnewsarticlesaboutteendating
violenceandcampaignannouncements.
TheLINAwebsitealsoservesasaportaltoitssocialmediaprogrambyoffering
buttonlinkstoitsvariouswebsites.
SocialMedia
Usingsocialmedia,theLINAcampaignhascreatedaninteractiveexperienceforits
targetaudience(Bruell,2009).ItssocialmediapresenceincludesaFacebookpage
(www.facebook.com/LoveIsNotAbuse),Twitteraccount(@Love_IsNotAbuse),and
YouTubechannel(www.youtube.com/user/LINAadmin).Thesecommunicationplatforms
facilitateinformationandmaterialssharingandgiveusersanopportunitytobeinvolvedin
theconversationaboutteendatingviolence.
TheFacebookprofilepagewaslaunchedonApril9,2010.AsofMarch15,2011,it
had5,877people“like”thefanpage.TheTwitteraccountiscustomizedwiththeLoveIs
NotAbuselogotiledasthebackgroundandasofMarch15,2011,ithad1,383followersand
hadreleased629tweets.BothFacebookandTwitterallowuserstocommentonthe
44
campaign’sprofileoraskquestionsthatthecampaigncanrespondto.Thesesocialmedia
toolsareeffectiveandconvenientchannelsthroughwhichtoreachteenageaudiences
becausetheyalsousethemintheirpersonallivesasameanstocommunicatewithfriends.
LizClaibornealsocommunicatesLINA’smessagesthroughvideos,availableto
watchontheFacebookpageandontheLINAYouTubechannel.Thecampaignjoined
YouTubeinJune2010,andasofApril7,2011,haduploaded21videosthathavegarnered
morethan4,900views.
ContentAnalysisResults
Theinitialcontentanalysissampleincluded53mediaarticles;ofthose,45articles
weredeterminedtoberelevanttotheLoveIsNotAbusecampaign.Anarticlewas
determinedrelevantifthecampaignnamewasmentionedatleastonceanditwasin
referencetosomeaspectofthecampaign,suchasactivities,programs,orthecompany(i.e.
LizClaiborne).The45relevantarticleswerefurtherexaminedforadditional
characteristics,including:publicationtype,mentionofcompanyname,informationforhow
thepubliccangetinvolved,anddescriptionofthecampaign’simpactoreffectivenessto
helpthecause.Relevantarticleswerecomprisedofvariouspublicationtypes,67percent
fromnewspapers,20percentfrommagazines,twopercentfromblogposts,and11percent
fromothersources.
Thecompanyname,“LizClaiborne,”wasincludedin84percentofthemedia
content,whichmeansthatitwasnotincludedin16percent.ThisresultdemonstratesLiz
Claiborne’sfailedcommunicationeffortstomaketheLINAcampaignsynonymouswiththe
company.Furthermore,itshowsthatthesubstanceofthecampaignisvaluableandto
someextentnewsworthywithoutpublicrelationsefforts;however,italsorepresentsa16
45
percentlossofopportunityformediacoverageandrecognitionofLizClaiborne’sCSR
efforts.AsBhattacharyaandSen(2004)explain,theremustbepublicawarenessofCSR
activitiesinorderforacompanytorealizethepotentialbenefitsofitsefforts.Anymention
oftheLINAcampaignshouldalsomentionLizClaibornesothattheassociationismadeand
thecompanyreceivespublicacknowledgementforitspositivecontributionstosociety.
Forty‐sevenpercentofmediacontentofferedinformationtoencouragepublic
participationinthecampaign’sefforts.SinceoneofLINA’sobjectivesistomobilizethe
publictojoinintheeffortstocurtailteendatingabuse,mediarelationseffortsshould
alwaysofferthecampaign’swebsiteaddresssinceitisaninformation‐richresource.
Thirty‐threepercentofmediaincludedsomereferencetoorindicationofthe
impactoftheLINAcampaign’swork.Impactwasquantifiedaseitherthenumberofpeople
helpedorthenumberofschoolswhohadadoptedtheLINAcurriculum,thusshowingthe
scopeofitsefforts.ReportingaCSRcampaign’simpactoreffectivenesshelpstovalidate
thecompany’sefforts(Bhattacharyaetal.,2009).LizClaiborne’seffortswithLINAhave
beenthoroughandinsomerespectssuccessfulatmeetingitsobjective,havinginvested$8
million,andthecurriculumadoptedinover10,000schoolsandorganizationsintheUS.
However,therefirstmustbeawarenessofthecompany’sCSRimpact,whichmeansthe
campaignneedstoemphasizethesefactsinitscommunication(Bhattacharya&Sen,2004).
None,orzeropercent,ofmediacontentcontainedamentionofthecongruence
betweenthecompanyandthecausesitsupports.Thisresultsuggeststhatthemediadid
notconsiderthefactoroflowcongruencetobeanissuethatneededtobediscussed.
46
CritiqueofCampaign
Originally,LizClaiborne’sphilanthropicprogramsrelatingtodomesticviolencedid
haveastrongcongruencewiththecompany’smaincustomerbase–women.However,as
theireffortsevolvedintoLINA,acampaignfocusedonteendatingviolence,thehighlevel
ofcompany‐causefitwaslost.Asitexiststoday,thisCSRinitiativeofLizClaiborne’sdoes
notconnecttotheirbusinessfunction.TheLINAcampaignisanexampleofadvocacy
advertisingbecausethecompany’sinvolvementiscommunicatedthroughchannels
focusingonthecauseofteendatingviolencethroughthecompany’snameplacementon
educationalmaterialssuchastheschoolcurriculumandinformationalhandbooks(see
Figures3and4).SinceLizClaibornedoesnotprovideinformationtoexplainwhythe
companychosetosupportdomesticviolenceandthenteendatingviolence,theirmotives
appeartobealtruistic.Ellenetal.(2006)foundthatinmostcases,consumersdonot
expectorbelievethatcompanieshavealtruisticmotivesforengaginginCSRactivities,so,
whenthisisperceived,itcantriggerskepticismastothecompany’sactualmotives.AsDu
etal.explained,acompanymustcommunicateitsmotivationsandreasonforchoosinga
particularcauseinordertogeneratefavorableattributionforitsCSRprograms(2010).
SimmonsandBecker‐Olson(2006)suggestcreatingperceivedfitbetweenthecompany
andthecausecouldpreventadversereactionstothelow‐fitconditionofLizClaiborne’s
LINAcampaign.Providingamessageorstoryofhowandwhythecompanybeganits
supportofthiscausecouldcreatetheperceivedfit.
OthercritiquesoftheLINAcampaignincludelackofCSRacknowledgementforLiz
Claiborne’sotherbrandsandfailuretofullybrandLINAmaterialswiththecompanyname.
LizClaiborneInc.istheparentcompanytootherbrandssuchasKateSpade,JuicyCouture,
47
LuckyBrand,andtheseotherbrandsdonotreceiveacknowledgementforthecompany’s
CSRinitiativewiththeLINAcampaign.Areviewofthecampaignmaterialsavailableonthe
websiteshowednotalloftheinteractivematerialsavailableonthewebsiteacknowledge
LizClaiborne’ssponsorship.Forexample,thewebsitebadges,asdisplayedinFigure5,
includethecampaignname,butdonotmention“LizClaiborne.”
48
DISCUSSION
Themainobjectiveofthisstudywastoexaminethecommunicationpracticesoftwo
publicCSRcampaigns,KennethCole’sAwearnessandLizClaiborne’sLoveIsNotAbuse,to
determineiftheirlowcompany‐causecongruencecouldbeovercomeandifso,how.The
keyfindingssuggestthatfactorsotherthancompany‐causefitcanplayasignificantrolein
thesuccessofapublicCSRcampaign.
Company‐CauseFit
Basedontheemphasisgivenintheacademicliteratureontheimportanceof
company‐causefit,thisstudyexpectedtofindevidenceofdetrimenttotheAwearnessand
LoveIsNotAbusecampaignsforthelowcongruencebetweenthecompanies'businessand
thecausessupportedbythesecampaigns.However,examinationofthecampaigns
throughthecaseanalysesandmediacontentanalysesdidnotshowanyobviousharm,or
skepticismforthelowcompany‐causefit.Thefactthatnoneofthemediaexaminedinthe
contentanalysesmentionedcompany‐causefitindicatesthatlowcompany‐causefitisin
fact,notaproblem.Instead,itsuggeststhatotherfactorsrelatingtothesecampaignswere
moresignificanttoitssuccess,andhelpedovercomethelowcompany‐causefit.One
explanationfortheabsenceofnegativeeffectsonthesecampaignsforlowcompany‐cause
fitcouldbethecontingencyfactorsrelatingtothenatureoftheirbusinessindustry–retail.
AsBhattacharyaetal.described,acompany’sreputationandtheindustryoftheirbusiness
caninfluencepublicresponsetoitsCSRactivities(2009).Thepublicandconsumersare
49
moreskepticaloftheCSRactivitiesofcompaniesincertainindustriesthatareperceivedas
sociallyirresponsible(e.g.,oilortobacco),orthathavebadreputations.Aspartofthe
retailindustry,LizClaiborne,Inc.andKennethColeProductionsdonotinherentlyhavebad
reputations;thiscanaffectwhatthepublicexpectsfromthemandhowcloselytheirCSR
activitiesarescrutinized.
MenonandKahn’sresearch(2003)suggeststhatAwearness’causemarketing
approachisadvantageousforhowconsumersandthepublicinterpretKCP’sCSRactivities.
WhenCSRiscommunicatedthroughcausepromotionitiseasiertocomprehendwhya
companyisinvolvedinthecause,becausebenefitstothecompanyareobviousfrom
increasedsalesofitsproducts.Furthermore,theCone(2010)studyshowedthata
majority,81percent,ofconsumerswelcomestheopportunitytopurchasecause‐related
products.SinceKCPcontinuestoinvestintheAwearnessinitiative,itsuggeststhe
companyispleasedwiththebeneficialreturnonitsinvestmentandthatthecause‐
marketingfactorismoresignificanttoconsumersthanlowcompany‐causefit.
AlthoughLizClaibornedoesnotofferanexplanationtoconnectthecompanytothe
causeofteendatingviolence,itisbelievedthatitsfocusandcommitmenttothecauseare
sufficienttooutweighpotentialskepticismofitsmotives.TheLINAinitiativespecifically
focusesononecause–teendatingviolence–andLizClaibornesetspecificobjectivesof
whatitisattemptingtoaccomplishinthisfield.Partofthecampaign’ssuccesscanbe
determinedbasedonthedegreetowhichitsatisfiesitsgoals.Theobjectivesestablished
forLINAin2005wereto(1)createpublicawarenessofteendatingabuse(2)provideclear
visibilityforLizClaiborneasaprivatesectorleaderinthecause,and(3)todemonstrate
thecompany’ssubstantiveeffortsforthecause(RuderFinn,2006).Throughitseducation
50
curriculumandsocialmediaoutreach,LINAhascreatedacomprehensiveprogramto
educateandengagesocietyabouttheissuesofteendatingviolence,andhowtheycanjoin
thecampaign’sefforts.
CSRBeyondCompany‐CauseFit
Resultsfromthemediacontentanalysesandcaseanalysesdiscoveredinteresting
detailsaboutthepublicrelationseffortsofeachcampaign.KCPhasmuchmoreeffectively
relatedtheAwearnesscampaigntothecompanynamethanLizClaibornehasatlinkingto
theLINAcampaign.CompanyrecognitionforitsCSRactivityisanecessarycomponentfor
asuccessfulcampaign.Bynotreceivingacknowledgementineverymediamentionofthe
campaign,LizClaibornehaslostvaluableopportunitiestopubliclydemonstratethe
company’ssubstantiveeffortsforthecauseandtopromotethecompanyasaprivatesector
leaderinthecause.Itisclearthatthecampaignshouldbemoreattunedtotheselost
opportunitiestocapitalizeonthecompany’sCSRactivities.
AnotherfindingfromthemediacontentanalysissuggeststhatAwearnessmay
succeedindrawingattentiontosocialcausesthatitsupports,butdoesnotreportonany
actualsocietalbenefitithascreated.Thismakesitdifficulttodeterminewhat,ifany,
impactthecampaign’seffortshavehadonthecausesitsupports.
Resultsfromthecontentanalysesalsoshowedthatbothcampaignsare
insufficientlypublicizinghowthepublicandconsumerscangetinvolvedincampaign
efforts.AnimportantcomponenttodeterminingeffectivenessoftheseCSRcampaignsis
theextenttowhichthepublicparticipates;Awearnesstosellmorecause‐relatedproducts,
andLINAtoencourageparticipationinthefightagainstteendatingviolence.Therefore,
51
campaignmediaoutreacheffortsshouldprovideandemphasizeinformationabouthowthe
publiccanparticipatetosupportthesecauses.
ApossiblysignificantdifferencebetweenAwearnessandLINAisthesizeofthe
companies.Inthe2010fiscalyear,LizClaiborne,Inc.reportedsalesof$2.5billion,while
KennethColeProductions’saleswerelessthanonefifthofthat,reporting$457millionin
sales.ThisrelatestotheresourcesthateachcompanyhasavailabletoinvestintheirCSR
programs.Proportionally,itfollowsthatLizClaibornewouldbeabletospendfivetimesas
muchonitsCSReffortsthanKennethCole.Thiscouldaccountforthediscrepancies
betweenthesubstanceandachievementofthesetwocampaigns.Moreover,LizClaiborne
doeshaveotherCSRinitiativesthatitsupportsthroughtheLizClaiborneFoundation,
whileKennethCole’sactivitiesarelimitedtoAwearness.However,itisdifficultto
determinetheextenttowhichthisfactorcontributestothesuccessoftheLINAand
Awearnesscampaigns.
WhiletheKCPhasbeeneffectiveinmediarelationstoconnectthecompanyto
Awearness,thecampaignasawholesuffersfromalackoffocusedobjectiveandconsistent
publicengagement.Whenitfirstlaunched,therewasafocusonpromotingand
encouragingvolunteerism(Cole,2008);however,itscurrentoperationsdonotincludethis
aspect(KCP,n.d.)Possiblythemostsignificantchangetothecampaign,wasthescaling
backofitsonlineandsocialmediapresence.Initially,Awearnessincludedsuch
mechanismsasablog(AwearnessBlog)andTwitteraccount(@awearnessblog)to
communicateitsmessagetothepublic,butsinceMay2010,theyarenolongerused.These
socialmediatoolscanpotentiallyengageavastaudienceinthecampaign’sefforts,which
52
wouldmakeitmoresuccessfulintermsofspreadingsocialawarenessandpossiblyfrom
sellingmorecause‐relatedproductsaswell.
StudyLimitations&DirectionsforFutureResearch
Whilethispaperexaminedtwospecificcompaniesandcampaigns,themethods
usedforanalysisandresearchfindingscouldbeusefulinplanningfutureCSRcampaigns.
Amajorlimitationtothisstudy’sresultsistheabsenceofinformationonpublic
perceptionofthecampaigns.Animportantareaforfutureresearchshouldexaminethe
publicperceptionsofCSRcampaignswithlowcompany‐causefit.
FutureresearchcouldbuildontheconceptofthisstudyandexamineCSR
campaignswithhighcompany‐causefit,todetermineifthereisadifferenceinthe
company’sprograms,howitiscommunicated,andhowthetargetaudiencerespondsto
informationaboutthecompany’sCSRactivities.
Interestingly,thisstudynoticedthestronginfluenceofdesignerKennethCole’s
identityonthephilanthropicactivitiesofKCP.Thissuggeststhatcompany‐cause
congruencefortheAwearnesscampaignwaspossiblylinkedmoretothedesignerthanto
thecompany.Assuch,futureresearchshouldexaminetheinfluenceoftheindividuals
associatedwithacompany,inpublicperceptionsofcompany‐causefit.Investigatinghowa
personbehind(orassociatedwith)thecompanycaninfluenceperceptionofcompany‐
causefitmightprovideinsightforfutureCSRcampaignsandwhoorwhattheyshoulduse
tomeasurecongruencetoasupportedcause.
53
Conclusion
ThroughanalysisofthecommunicationeffortsandmediacoverageofKenneth
Cole’sAwearnessandLizClaiborne’sLoveIsNotAbuseCSRcampaigns,thisstudyhasfound
thatcompany‐causefitisnotadeterminingfactortoacampaign’ssuccess.Overall,
componentsthataremoreimportanttothesuccessofaCSRcampaigninclude,company
recognitionforsponsorship,andsubstanceoftheinitiative.Aprerequisiteforthesuccess
ofaCSRprogramisacknowledgementofthecompany’sinvolvement.Companiesmust
communicatetheirCSRactivitytoaudiencesinordertocreateawarenessandensurethat
anythird‐partyreporting(i.e.media)oftheireffortsalsorecognizesthecompany’s
involvement.AnothersignificantelementthatcontributestothesuccessofaCSRinitiative
isactualsubstanceofitsefforts.ComprehensiveandtransparentCSRprogramsaremore
likelytobeperceivedasacompany’shonestattempttobenefitsocietyortheenvironment,
thusavoidingskepticismofthecompany’smotives.Inconclusion,companiescanbenefit
fromtheirinvestmentinCSRactivitieswhenitiseffectivelyandstrategically
communicatedtotargetaudience.
54
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