The moderating role of donation quantifiers on price fairness judgments

In the cause-related marketing (CM) literature, transparent communication of donation amounts (e.g., monetary donation quantifiers) has been shown to positively impact the effectiveness of CM campaigns. In practice, however, many firms communicate their donation contributions in more ambiguous terms (e.g., descriptive quantifiers). Across three studies, the authors demonstrate when using monetary quantifiers is less beneficial, due to consumers’ skepticism of firm motives. Study 1 shows that the presence of a CM promotion positively affects perceptions of price fairness. Study 2 provides evidence that donation quantifier formats operate uniquely and impact price fairness through skepticism. Finally, Study 3 demonstrates ways in which practitioners can manage consumer skepticism, which affect perceptions of price fairness and ultimately purchase intent.