Cause Marketing

Department

Master's program International Business & Management

Course unit code

IBaM-M-3-M_8-CAM-ILV-O

Number of ECTS credits allocated

Name of lecturer(s)

FH-Prof. Dr. Harthaller Kristina

Mode of delivery

blended learning

Recommended optional program components

none

Recommended or required reading

Anderson, S.J., Chintagunta, P., Germann, F., & Vilcassim, N. (2021). Do marketers matter for entrepreneurs? Evidence from a field experiment in Uganda. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 78-96.
Gollnhofer, J.F., Weijo, H.A., & Schouten, J.W. (2019). Consumer movements and value regimes: Fighting food waste in Germany by building alternative object pathways. Journal of Consumer Research, 46(3), 460-482.
Gonzalez-Arcos, C., Joubert, A.M., Scaraboto, D., Guesalaga, R., & Sandberg, J. (2021). "How Do I Carry All This Now?" Understanding Consumer Resistance to Sustainability Interventions. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 44-61.
Habel, J., Alavi, S., & Linsenmayer, K. (2021). Variable Compensation and Salesperson Health. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 130-149.
Mookerjee, S., Cornil, Y., & Hoegg, J. (2021). From Waste to Taste: How "Ugly" Labels Can Increase Purchase of Unattractive Produce. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 62-77.
Rifkin, J.R., Du, K.M., & Berger, J. (2021). Penny for your preferences: leveraging self-expression to encourage small prosocial gifts. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 204-219.
Sun, J.J., Bellezza, S., & Paharia, N. (2021). Buy Less, Buy Luxury: Understanding and Overcoming Product Durability Neglect for Sustainable Consumption. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 28-43.
Wang, Y., Lewis, M., & Singh, V. (2021). Investigating the Effects of Excise Taxes, Public Usage Restrictions, and Antismoking Ads Across Cigarette Brands. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 150-167.
Weihrauch, A., & Huang, S.C. (2021). Portraying Humans as Machines to Promote Health: Unintended Risks, Mechanisms, and Solutions. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 184-203.
Zhang, W., Chintagunta, P.K., & Kalwani, M. U. (2021). Social Media, Influencers, and Adoption of an Eco-Friendly Product: Field Experiment Evidence from Rural China. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 10-27.
Zhang, K., Cai, F., & Shi, Z. (2021). Do Promotions Make Consumers More Generous? The Impact of Price Promotions on Consumers' Donation Behavior. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 240-255.

Level of course unit

Master

Year of study

Fall 2025

Semester when the course unit is delivered

Language of instruction

English

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Within this module, students will acquire competencies in cause marketing. Students will be able to list characteristics and influencing factors of consumer well-being, of marketing for the climate, and of donor and charity marketing. They will be able to explain contemporary forms of consumption, to demonstrate how marketing fosters positive versus negative externalities and how to ameliorate negative externalities. Furthermore, students will be able to list multiple best practice examples of cause-related marketing campaigns and of collaborations between firms, governments, and NGOs that create win-win situations for commercial and non-commercial stakeholders.

Course contents

• Consumer well-being
• Contemporary forms of consumption (e.g., sharing economy, green consumption)
• Marketing technologies and practices that contribute to a better world
• Positive versus negative externalities of marketing
• Collaborations between firms, governments, non-profits, and NGOs that benefit commercial and non-commercial stakeholders
• Powerful cause-related marketing campaigns
• The role of marketing in reducing climate change
• Charity and donor marketing in a digital world

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course comprises an interactive mix of lectures, discussions and individual and group work.

Work placement(s)

none

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