Building corporate image through societal marketing programs

Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop and test a Thai model for societal marketing's impact on consumer's attitudes toward a corporate image. Design/methodology/approach A preliminary model was developed from the existing literature, followed by exploratory research consisting of three in‐depth interviews and four focus groups to refine the model. The model was then tested with data collected from a mail survey completed by 1,153 respondents, using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings indicate that a societal marketing program and corporate communications can create positive consumer attitudes toward corporate image. In addition both educational level and marital status of respondents significantly influence consumer attitudes towards corporate image. Moreover, societal marketing program identity, when compared with other variables, illustrates the most powerful impact on customers' attitudes toward corporate image. Research limitations/implications The data were gathered from one program only, hence future research could extend these findings to other programs to test their generalisability. Practical implications The key implications of these findings for marketing managers include support for the use of societal marketing programs at a strategic level as well as suggestions for successful implementation of these programs. Originality/value This study contributes to societal marketing research because a scarcity of empirical research still exists in this field, particularly in Asian countries such as Thailand.