How do we engage people with low motivation? Utilizing influencers for effective climate change corporate social responsibility communication

Purpose The study investigated the potential role of social media influencers (SMIs) in engaging users with low motivation to participate in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by examining how the interplay among endorser type, argument quality and audiences’ cause involvement affects consumers’ information processing and authenticity judgments of CSR messages. Design/methodology/approach The current study employed an online experiment (n = 386) with a 2 (CSR argument quality: Strong vs. Weak) by 2 (Endorser Type: SMI vs. Brand) between-subjects design. Findings Individuals with low involvement with climate change relied more heavily on source credibility cues, while those with high involvement scrutinized the argument quality of the CSR message by dedicating more cognitive efforts. Although the authenticity of a SMI-promoted CSR message with strong argument quality was boosted, that of a weak message promoted by the SMI significantly decreased. Practical implications The findings regarding differential processing of CSR information by different key audiences based on their motivational factors provide guidance for companies on how to inform and engage different types of the public about social causes. The study recommends organizations to segment the audiences according to social media engagement levels and tailor their strategies. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to explore how users’ cause involvement on social media can shape their processing routes in evaluating the authenticity of CSR messages. By drawing on the elaboration likelihood model to the realm of strategic communication, the study uncovered the importance of tailoring source and message strategies to users with a varying degree of motivation.