'Give-a-little-help for a business': consumers' prosocial behavior towards for-profit companies

Resumo

The COVID pandemic prevented many firms from generating revenue. Thus, they shifted their communication to a 'give-a-little-help' appeal, asking consumers to purchase from them to help their business survive. However, since these messages often come together with discounts or other tangible benefits, it is unclear whether consumers are willing to buy products with the motivation to help a for-profit business. In a series of two online experiments and a field study, we show that consumers are indeed more likely to buy products as a response to this type of message because they are motivated to help vulnerable firms. A follow-up survey corroborates the findings.