CSR CSR and Consumer Behavior 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes consumers who deliberately choose products from companies with strong CSR records?
- Ethical investors
- Conscious consumers (Correct answer)
- Stakeholder shoppers
- Impact buyers
Correct answer: Conscious consumers
Conscious consumers make purchasing decisions based partly on a company's social, environmental, and ethical performance rather than price and quality alone.
Question 2: According to research, how does strong CSR performance typically affect consumer brand loyalty?
- It has no measurable effect on loyalty
- It tends to increase loyalty, especially among younger demographics (Correct answer)
- It reduces loyalty by raising product prices
- It only affects loyalty in luxury goods markets
Correct answer: It tends to increase loyalty, especially among younger demographics
Studies consistently show that strong CSR performance increases consumer trust and brand loyalty, particularly among millennials and Gen Z consumers.
Question 3: What is 'cause-related marketing' in a CSR context?
- Marketing campaigns that highlight company financial results
- Linking product sales to a charitable cause or social issue (Correct answer)
- Advertising campaigns funded by government grants
- Marketing materials that explain regulatory compliance
Correct answer: Linking product sales to a charitable cause or social issue
Cause-related marketing ties the purchase of a product to a donation or benefit to a social cause, combining commercial objectives with social impact.
Question 4: Which phenomenon occurs when consumers punish brands they perceive as engaging in CSR hypocrisy?
- Ethical dissonance
- Greenwash backlash (Correct answer)
- Brand erosion
- Value misalignment penalty
Correct answer: Greenwash backlash
Greenwash backlash occurs when consumers discover that a company's CSR claims are exaggerated or false, leading to damaged brand reputation and consumer boycotts.
Question 5: What does research suggest about the relationship between CSR and consumer purchase intention?
- CSR has no influence on whether consumers intend to buy a product
- Positive CSR perceptions generally increase consumers' likelihood to purchase from that company (Correct answer)
- CSR perceptions only affect purchase intent in developing markets
- Only environmental CSR (not social) influences purchase intention
Correct answer: Positive CSR perceptions generally increase consumers' likelihood to purchase from that company
Research consistently shows that favorable CSR perceptions positively influence consumer purchase intention, particularly when company values align with consumer values.
Question 6: What is the 'attitude-behavior gap' in ethical consumption?
- The difference between a company's stated CSR policy and its actual practices
- The disconnect between consumers' stated values and their actual purchasing behavior (Correct answer)
- The gap between corporate sustainability goals and consumer expectations
- The difference between advertised and actual product sustainability
Correct answer: The disconnect between consumers' stated values and their actual purchasing behavior
The attitude-behavior gap describes how many consumers say they prefer ethical products but do not consistently follow through when making real purchasing decisions.
CSR CSR and Consumer Behavior 1
Which term describes consumers who deliberately choose products from companies with strong CSR records?