The more detail the better: how message specificity can impact corporate image

While corporate social responsibility (CSR) may have started as an obligatory exercise for most organisations, it has evolved into one where many seek to contribute positively to the environmental and social status. Beyond just meeting the legal requirements, some organisations go above and beyond to align their business practices with CSR goals. This is also beneficial for the organisation, as it can offer a competitive advantage when CSR is highly valued among stakeholders. Among those that are genuine in their pursuits of CSR, there are also those that engage in activities for the publicity. These are organisations that realise the benefit but refuse to invest in the resources necessary to undertake these initiatives. It is no wonder that sometimes stakeholders can feel cheated when it comes to organisations and their CSR activities. There are many cases of businesses overestimating their contributions and efforts towards improving sustainability. This can be easily done, as the regulations surrounding these areas are still developing and may not be robust or clear enough for organisations to be accurately measured against. For example, some of the goals under the sustainable development goals are so vague that it would be difficult for one to measure whether certain targets were achieved or not. In this regard, organisations can use this as an excuse to misrepresent their standing. Clear messaging is essential, especially to communicate these efforts to consumers. Chiu et al. (2025) investigated how message specificity impacted corporate image, and that in turn influences consumers’ attitudes and intentions.Consumers have grown to become savvy in identifying when organisations are merely giving the illusion of being interested in sustainable development. Therefore, the means of communication and the messages sent out are crucial in determining the outlook that consumers will have. If the messaging is unclear or vague, then it is easier for consumers to doubt the authenticity of the efforts and initiatives that the business communicates. It is also easier to misjudge the impact if there are no clear markers of measurement. The more specific a message is, the more credible it will be perceived by consumers. The level of detail provided offers a sense of transparency and accountability that consumers would value. Consumers have already grown more distrustful of organisations following many scandals related to environmental and social issues. These doubts can be put to rest if the organisation can demonstrate transparency through their messaging. CSR messaging is similar to marketing; the goal is to relay a specific message in a way that leads to a favourable outcome. In relation to CSR, these outcomes can be a better brand reputation, increased social presence or even better profit margins. Businesses that neglect this aspect can see their efforts twisted and their intentions warped.Consumers make decisions based on the perceptions they have, given the information available to them. The goal for organisations is to provide just the right amount of information for consumers to make critical decisions on whether to engage in business with a particular organisation or not. This can impact the overall brand image, as well as the attitudes and behaviours that consumers will display. Corporate image is such a fragile element that can be torn down easily; however, rebuilding it can be an arduous task. Therefore, organisations need to take an active role in shaping consumer perceptions. It is not just a matter of how the organisation is viewed, but it can also impact behaviours. These behaviours can include purchase behaviours as well as word-of-mouth reviews and opinions. These can directly and significantly affect the business performance. If certain messages are met with scepticism, then this can spread throughout the consumer circle. With greater connectivity due to improved technological advancements, these sentiments can spread far and wide in a matter of seconds. Negative press is never a good thing for organisations, especially when related to CSR activities.It is not easy to articulate the exact intentions that the organisations wish to convey. This is a valuable skill that needs to be taught and practiced. A key feature is the level of detail provided. When consumers are not provided with the right amount of information then they can seek to fill in these information gaps on their own. It would be difficult to influence the information they use to fill those gaps. In the process of doing so, the original message can become distorted. This is how organisational messaging can impact the organisation negatively. It is sometimes less about the content and more about how it is presented. This is another area within messaging that needs to be considered. Even with all these factored in, consumers can still be prone to having perceptions or making judgements based on inaccurate understanding of the communication provided. This is why there should be use of different forms and mediums that convey a consistent message to solidify the points being made. When organisations can do this, it gives them a better chance at not being misunderstood.This review is based on “How CSR message specificity affects corporate image, attitudes and behavioral intentions among sport consumers? The moderating role of perceived CSR fit” by Weisheng Chiu, Cindy Lee, Hyejin Bang and Jie Chen, published in the International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship.