Recency effects in the buffering of negative news by corporate social responsibility advertising
Corporate Communications: An International Journal
ISSN: 1356-3289
Article publication date: 18 September 2020
Issue publication date: 24 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing from the theory of how relevant items are processed in memory when making judgements, this study aims to test for recency effects between CSR advertising and related, negative news on how a company is perceived and the explanatory roles of environmentalism, attribution and both feelings and attitudes towards the advertising itself.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses between-subjects experimental design with pretests.
Findings
Order effects exist, which, when ads and news are similarly influential, evidence a recency effect. The process is explained by both the mediating influence of attribution of blame and the moderation of this influence by attitude towards the environment. Differences between the effectiveness of ads are explained by the mediating influence of attitudes towards and feelings about the ad together with the moderation of this influence by involvement in the ad context.
Practical implications
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) ads should be pretested in the context of related but negative news, and not just on their own, to ensure they can buffer such news. CSR ads can be more effective when following rather than preceding such news and should not be withdrawn if such a crisis occurs.
Originality/value
The research first attempts to explain recency effects theoretically from the influence of CSR ads on negative CSR-related news. It also shows the determining factors in how such effects influence consumers by considering attribution, environmentalism, attitude to the context and attitude and feelings towards CSR ads.
Keywords
Citation
Han, J.H., Davies, G. and Grimes, A. (2021), "Recency effects in the buffering of negative news by corporate social responsibility advertising", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 382-402. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-03-2020-0053
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited