Unlocking the power of feedback: Exploring customers' continued purchase intention of cause-related products in the hotel industry

Abstract

This study addresses a gap in cause-related marketing (CRM) research in the hotel industry by highlighting the importance of feedback information in sustaining customer participation. Based on the information processing theory, this study investigates when and how hotels utilize feedback information as a strategic incentive to enhance customers' continued purchase intentions in CRM campaigns. Through a real-life experiment and two scenario-based experiments, the findings reveal the following: (1) Outcome value feedback (vs. action value feedback) more effectively enhances customers' continued purchase intention through self-efficacy; (2) Outcome value feedback enhances self-efficacy more when customers are engaged in an exchange relationship or when the CRM goal is ongoing; (3) No significant difference in self-efficacy is found between the two types of feedback when customers are in a communal relationship or when the CRM goal is completed. These findings can assist hotel managers in improving CRM strategies by effectively delivering feedback to customers.