Document Type

Thesis

First Faculty Advisor

Sukki Yoon

Keywords

rainbowashing; cause related marketing; LGBTQ; advertising

Rights Management

CC-BY-NC-ND

Abstract

Cause related marketing efforts by multiple brands have grown over the past few years. With the growth of social media and even more awareness for multiple causes, consumers are pickier when it comes to brands that supports them. While many studies have been done when it comes to “greenwashing” (the tactics of brands to show their green initiatives), there are still more that needs to be done to understand the impact of “rainbowashing” marketing methods on consumer purchase intention. The importance of this study and how it can affect businesses are discussed. To get a feel for the potential effect of this phenomenon of marketing, I utilized an experimental vignette methodology to test the effects of rainbowashing on consumer purchase intentions. The advertisements consisted of two different types of services, four different brands, and eight total versions of the advertisement, with some having a “rainbowashed” logo and some without. Participants were randomly assigned one of the eight vignettes and, after viewing the advertisement participants were asked to rate their feelings about the advertisement, their support, and ultimately purchase intention

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