Environmental Threats Increase Consumers' Purchase Intention of Cause‐Related Marketing Products Through Collective Fear and Collective Guilt: A Perspective of Group‐Based Emotions

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the positive impact of environmental threats on the purchase intention for cause‐related marketing (CRM) products through the lens of group‐based emotions. To elucidate the underlying psychological mechanisms, we categorised environmental threats into natural and human causes, based on their origins. We hypothesise that collective fear mediates the relationship between natural environmental threats and CRM product purchase intention, whereas collective guilt mediates the influence of human‐caused environmental threats on the same outcome. Nature connectedness was selected as the moderator because of its impact on emotional responses. We validated the hypotheses through three experimental studies. In Study 1 ( n = 287; 65.20% female; M age = 30.69), it is confirmed that both natural and human‐caused environmental threats enhance consumers' willingness to purchase CRM products. Study 2 ( n = 313; 65.50% female; M age = 29.99) demonstrates that collective fear (versus collective guilt) mediates the relationship between natural (versus human‐caused) environmental threats and the intention to purchase CRM products. Study 3 ( n = 365; 64.90% female; M age = 31.38) examines the moderating effects of nature connectedness between natural (versus human‐caused) environmental threats and collective fear (versus collective guilt). This research contributes to the extant literature on environmental threats, group‐based emotions, CRM, and nature connectedness and offers valuable insights for marketers.

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