How the frequency and amount of corporate donations affect consumer perception and behavioral responses

This article proposes two new donation strategies that focus on either the amount or the frequency of corporate donations, and verifies that consumers have very different perceptions of and behavioral responses to firms that adopt these different donation strategies. Through three lab experiments and two field studies with adult consumers, the authors show that an amount-focused donation strategy leads consumers to generate more resource- and capability-related associations about the firm’s endeavor in helping charities, whereas a frequency-focused donation strategy leads consumers to generate more commitment- and persistence-related associations about a firm’s endeavor in helping charities. Furthermore, consumers tend to perceive a donation as more instrumental in helping charities and are more likely to purchase from the donor firm, pay a higher price for the donor firm’s products, and make referrals when the firm adopts a frequency-focused (vs. amount-focused) donation strategy to support an approach-oriented (vs. avoidance-oriented) charitable goal. The findings hold important implications for corporate donation strategies regarding how firms should allocate their philanthropic budgets and strategically communicate their donation efforts.