Member-organization connection impacts in affinity marketing

Henry Fock, Allan K.K. Chan and Dengfeng Yan

Journal of Business Research, 2011, vol. 64, issue 7, 672-679

Abstract: Affinity marketing collaboration is a growing practice in the marketplace, yet theories to explain its influence are scarce in the literature. This study suggests two complementary cause-related effects stemming from an organization's connection with its members to explain the underlying mechanism of affinity marketing. The convergent findings of a survey and an experiment reveal that the responses of consumers in affinity marketing are both empathetic and particularistic. These characteristics distinguish affinity marketing from general commercial co-branding and from cause-related strategies which call for sympathetic and altruistic responses. These effects are more pronounced among individuals with a high interdependent orientation in collectivistic cultures. The dual influence of these effects makes affinity marketing an ideal marketing strategy for improving customer loyalty in the more interdependent societies in Asia.

Keywords: Affinity; marketing; Cause-related; effect; Empathy; Obligation; Loyalty; Interdependent; orientation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:64:y:2011:i:7:p:672-679

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