Consumers’ intention to donate to two children’s charity brands: a comparison of Barnardo’s and BBC Children in Need

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine consumers’ non-profit brand image, brand typicality and past behaviour as determinants of intention to donate to two children charity brands.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were obtained from two separate studies via a questionnaire, both in the context of two children charities, one for Barnardo’s and the other for BBC Children in Need charity. A theoretical model is developed, tested and compared across the two charity brands.

Findings

Findings highlight that different factors influence intentions to donate time and money according to the charity brand. Brand typicality is a key determinant of time donations, while the impact of non-profit brand image dimensions on time and money donations differs across the two charities. Past behaviour affects intentions to donate money in both charities but impacts time donations in only one of the two charities investigated.

Research limitations/implications

The study examines specific dimensions of non-profit brand image across two different charity brands and offers theoretical insights about the value of brand image in a non-for profit context in shaping consumer outcomes (i.e. consumer intentions to donate).

Originality/value

The study sheds further light into the notion of typicality put forward by Michel and Rieunier (2012) for two children’s charity brands that differ in terms of their strength and income levels and examined past behaviour as a determinant to donate to charity brands.

Citation

Michaelidou, N., Micevski, M. and Siamagka, N.T. (2015), "Consumers’ intention to donate to two children’s charity brands: a comparison of Barnardo’s and BBC Children in Need", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 134-146. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-04-2014-0573