Antecedents of consumer’s self-brand connection in the context of CSR communication: a focus on Egypt’s coffee industry

Despite increasing competition from global brands, local Egyptian coffee companies continue to hold significant influence by leveraging authenticity and tradition. However, in the saturated coffee market, both local and international brands face growing challenges in establishing meaningful consumer connections, particularly through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). While CSR has gained traction as a differentiating strategy to boost purchase intentions, word-of-mouth, and premium pricing, there remains a gap in understanding the antecedents of self-brand connections in Egypt's coffee industry within the context of CSR efforts. Therefore, this study seeks to examine how pride, regulatory focus, geographic CSR donation focus, and cause involvement influence consumer behaviors, such as purchase intentions, positive word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay more. Therefore, this study utilizes a mono-quantitative methodology, specifically an online survey with 486 respondents, applying Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for data analysis. The findings reveal that pride, geographic focus, and the combination of pride and regulatory focus have a positive effect on self-brand connection, purchase intentions, word of mouth, and willingness to pay more. However, the interaction between pride, regulatory focus, and the geographic focus of CSR donations does not significantly impact these consumer behaviours. Additionally, SEM analysis confirms that self-brand connection positively influences purchase intentions, word of mouth, and willingness to pay more. Cause involvement also significantly strengthens self-brand connection. Furthermore, the research suggested that purchase intentions drive positive word of mouth, which in turn enhances consumers' willingness to pay a premium. The study enriches understanding of the intricate relationships between pride, regulatory focus, geographic focus, CSR, and consumer behaviors, offering practical insights for professionals in devising effective CSR advertising campaigns. By highlighting the importance of aligning CSR communication with consumer preferences, the study underscores the need for further research on consumer response to CSR messages and effective CSR messaging strategies.