Deflecting resistance to persuasion: exploring CSR message strategies on consumer evaluations

Awareness of persuasive intent often results in resistance to persuasion. In this study, we investigated conditions under which explicit persuasive intent may not cause resistance to persuasion in CSR message strategies. Specifically, we examined the interplay between persuasive intent and regulatory-framed CSR messages in a marketing communication context. We found that the negative effect of explicit persuasive intent is less pronounced in promotion-focused messages than in prevention-focused CSR messages. Additionally, our mediation analyses further illustrated the persuasion resistance mechanism by showing that the interaction effects of persuasive intent and regulatory focus are serially mediated by the perceived manipulativeness of the CSR message and the brand trustworthiness.