Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Brand Image and Consumer Preferences: A Case Study in the Automotive Industry
Keywords:
CSR, Brand Image, Consumer Preference, Automotive Industry, Pontianak, Marketing Strategy
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on brand image and consumer preference in the automotive industry, with a case study of motor vehicle consumers in Pontianak City. CSR is currently not only seen as a company's moral obligation, but also as a business strategy that can shape positive perceptions and create competitive advantages. This research uses a quantitative approach with a total of 100 respondents selected through purposive sampling technique. The research instrument was arranged in the form of a Likert scale closed questionnaire and analyzed by multiple linear regression. The results show that CSR has a significant effect on brand image and consumer preference, both directly and through brand image as an intervening variable. Brand image plays a strong mediating role, suggesting that consumer perceptions of corporate social responsibility shape loyalty and purchase intentions. Consumer preference is not only built through product features or price, but also through the emotional connection and social value built by companies through CSR programs. The implication of this study suggests that automotive companies in Pontianak and other regions make CSR a strategic part of brand management and market winning efforts. Consistent, authentic, and communicative CSR implementation can increase positive perceptions of the brand and strengthen the psychological bond between companies and consumers. Thus, CSR becomes an important element in modern sustainable marketing strategies.
References
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Nguyen, H. N., & Pham, L. X. (2018). The relationship between country-of-origin image, corporate reputation, corporate social responsibility, trust and customers' purchase intention: Evidence from Vietnam. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, 13(2), 498-509.
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Singh, K., & Misra, M. (2021). Linking corporate social responsibility (CSR) and organizational performance: The moderating effect of corporate reputation. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 27(1), 100139. https://doi.
Wang, S., Liao, Y. K., Wu, W. Y., & Lê, H. B. K. (2021). The role of corporate social responsibility perceptions in brand equity, brand credibility, brand reputation, and purchase intentions. Sustainability, 13(21), 11975. https://doi.
Brahmi, M., Hussain, Z., Majeed, M. U., Khan, A., Qureshi, M. A., & Bansal, R. (2025). Corporate Social Responsibility's Influence on Brand Image in the Automotive Sector: The Corporate Reputation and Product Quality Role. Administrative Sciences, 15(4), 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15040121
Ismail, Z., & Mohamed, W. N. W. (2024). Accelerating Brand Value: The Role of CSR in Shaping Automotive Brand Reputation and Consumer Preferences. GATR Journal of Management and Marketing Review, 9(2), 76-86.
Shetty, S., & Bhat, R. (2024). The Impact of Sustainable Practices on Consumer Behavior in the UK's Automotive Sector. Journal of Business Research and Management Review, 3(2), 45-58.
Ahn, J., Kim, S., & Sung, Y. (2022). CSR perception and brand attitude in the automotive industry: The role of moral identity and consumer cynicism. Journal of Business Research, 144, 556-565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.02.065
Ferreira, P., & Fernandes, C. (2021). The impact of CSR on brand equity: A study on the automotive sector in emerging markets. European Business Review, 33(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-06-2020-0136
D'Souza, C., Taghian, M., & Sullivan-Mort, G. (2023). Corporate social responsibility and consumer decision making in a digital era. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 22(2), 231-245. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2107
Park, H., Kim, Y., & Kwon, G. (2020). Corporate social responsibility and consumer behavior: How CSR affects brand preference in emerging markets. Journal of Global Marketing, 33(5), 277-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2020.1786670
Gatti, L., Caruana, A., & Snehota, I. (2019). The role of corporate social responsibility, perceived quality, and corporate image on consumer brand preference. Journal of Business Ethics, 157(2), 589-604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3675-0
Jung, H. S., & Kim, H. J. (2016). Good image but bad behavior: The negative impact of CSR inconsistency on consumer behavior. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 44(4), 743-758. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2016.44.4.743
Chaudhary, R. (2017). Corporate social responsibility and firm performance: The mediating role of brand equity. Journal of Global Responsibility, 8(2), 217-229. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-01-2017-0001
Khan, H., Ahmad, M., & Yasin, M. (2023). Linking CSR with customer loyalty and advocacy: The role of customer-company identification. Journal of Cleaner Production, 395, 136393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136393
Nguyen, N., & Truong, Y. (2020). The impact of CSR initiatives on customer loyalty in the automobile industry: Evidence from Vietnam. International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 20(1), 51-68. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJATM.2020.104916
Brahmi, M., Hussain, Z., Majeed, M. U., Khan, A., Qureshi, M. A., & Bansal, R. (2025). Corporate social responsibility's influence on brand image in the automotive sector: The corporate reputation and product quality roles. Administrative Sciences, 15(4), 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15040121:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Waluya, A. I., Iqbal, M. A., & Indradewa, R. (2019). How product quality, brand image, and customer satisfaction affect the purchase decisions of Indonesian automotive customers. International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 10(2), 177-193.
Shaikh, E., Brahmi, M., Thang, P. C., Watto, W. A., Trang, T. T. N., & Loan, N. T. (2022). Should I stay or should I go? Explaining the turnover intentions with corporate social responsibility (CSR), organizational identification and organizational commitment. Sustainability, 14(10), 6030. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106030(MDPI)
Singh, K., & Misra, M. (2021). Linking corporate social responsibility (CSR) and organizational performance: The moderating effect of corporate reputation. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 27(1), 100139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2020.100139:contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=1 6}
Lho, H., Park, J., & Yu, J. (2019). The effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on brand image, brand prestige, and behavioral intention. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 33(4), 63-74. https://doi.org/10.21298/IJTHR.2019.12.33.4.63:contentReference[oaicite:19]{index =19}
Wang, S., Liao, Y. K., Wu, W. Y., & Lê, H. B. K. (2021). The role of corporate social responsibility perceptions in brand equity, brand credibility, brand reputation, and purchase intentions. Sustainability, 13(21), 11975. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111975:contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
Nguyen, H. N., & Pham, L. X. (2018). The relationship between country-of-origin image, corporate reputation, corporate social responsibility, trust and customers' purchase intention: Evidence from Vietnam. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, 13(2), 498-509.
Pritchard, M., & Wilson, T. (2018). Building corporate reputation through consumer responses to green new products. Journal of Brand Management, 25(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-017-0071-3:contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}
Suki, N. M., & Suki, N. M. (2019). Correlations between awareness of green marketing, corporate social responsibility, product image, corporate reputation, and consumer purchase intention. In Corporate Social Responsibility: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 143-154). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-6911- 2.ch008:contentReference[oaicite:31]{index=31}
Singh, K., & Misra, M. (2021). Linking corporate social responsibility (CSR) and organizational performance: The moderating effect of corporate reputation. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 27(1), 100139. https://doi.
Wang, S., Liao, Y. K., Wu, W. Y., & Lê, H. B. K. (2021). The role of corporate social responsibility perceptions in brand equity, brand credibility, brand reputation, and purchase intentions. Sustainability, 13(21), 11975. https://doi.
Brahmi, M., Hussain, Z., Majeed, M. U., Khan, A., Qureshi, M. A., & Bansal, R. (2025). Corporate Social Responsibility's Influence on Brand Image in the Automotive Sector: The Corporate Reputation and Product Quality Role. Administrative Sciences, 15(4), 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15040121
Ismail, Z., & Mohamed, W. N. W. (2024). Accelerating Brand Value: The Role of CSR in Shaping Automotive Brand Reputation and Consumer Preferences. GATR Journal of Management and Marketing Review, 9(2), 76-86.
Shetty, S., & Bhat, R. (2024). The Impact of Sustainable Practices on Consumer Behavior in the UK's Automotive Sector. Journal of Business Research and Management Review, 3(2), 45-58.
Ahn, J., Kim, S., & Sung, Y. (2022). CSR perception and brand attitude in the automotive industry: The role of moral identity and consumer cynicism. Journal of Business Research, 144, 556-565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.02.065
Ferreira, P., & Fernandes, C. (2021). The impact of CSR on brand equity: A study on the automotive sector in emerging markets. European Business Review, 33(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-06-2020-0136
D'Souza, C., Taghian, M., & Sullivan-Mort, G. (2023). Corporate social responsibility and consumer decision making in a digital era. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 22(2), 231-245. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2107
Park, H., Kim, Y., & Kwon, G. (2020). Corporate social responsibility and consumer behavior: How CSR affects brand preference in emerging markets. Journal of Global Marketing, 33(5), 277-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2020.1786670
Gatti, L., Caruana, A., & Snehota, I. (2019). The role of corporate social responsibility, perceived quality, and corporate image on consumer brand preference. Journal of Business Ethics, 157(2), 589-604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3675-0
Jung, H. S., & Kim, H. J. (2016). Good image but bad behavior: The negative impact of CSR inconsistency on consumer behavior. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 44(4), 743-758. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2016.44.4.743
Chaudhary, R. (2017). Corporate social responsibility and firm performance: The mediating role of brand equity. Journal of Global Responsibility, 8(2), 217-229. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-01-2017-0001
Khan, H., Ahmad, M., & Yasin, M. (2023). Linking CSR with customer loyalty and advocacy: The role of customer-company identification. Journal of Cleaner Production, 395, 136393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136393
Nguyen, N., & Truong, Y. (2020). The impact of CSR initiatives on customer loyalty in the automobile industry: Evidence from Vietnam. International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 20(1), 51-68. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJATM.2020.104916
Published
2025-04-30
How to Cite
Nurul Septya Magisa, Ana Yuliana, Sulasti, Iswanto, & Rizaldy. (2025). Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Brand Image and Consumer Preferences: A Case Study in the Automotive Industry. International Journal of Health, Economics, and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 7(2), 946~956. https://doi.org/10.56338/ijhess.v7i2.7529
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