Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

There is no denying that today digital media outperforms traditional media by increasing its influence on people’s attitudes. People have to consume much more information being apt to choose the one that brings them joy and entertainment. At the same time, the level of skepticism is growing because digital media facilitates the spreading of misleading and low-quality content. Thus, this research focuses on the quality of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages and analyzes CSR communication and advocacy advertising referring to the Caring Theory. The study describes a Caring model for CSR communication and advocacy offering companies to incorporate elements of caring theory in their communication about their efforts in CSR. It evaluates how different levels and elements of caring aligns to the different levels of corporate involvement into social issues and how that may enhance the trustworthiness of the message, consumers’ positive attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention. The study reveals that the perception of caring can significantly enhance the efficiency of CSR messages. Incorporating even a few elements of caring expose a significant impact on the effectiveness of the communication. Although people may perceive caring differently, the elements of genuine caring can help enhance the believability and trustworthiness of CSR messages. A high level of perception of caring significantly mediates attitudes toward the message, toward the brand, and, as a result, purchase intention.