As dimensões da culpa do consumidor

: implicações para o marketing de causa social

Abstract

This research project, included in my Master’s Degree, aims to study consumer guilt, how it is created and how it relates to marketing. To characterise consumer guilt, we initially focused on “guilt” as an emotion, the root of any remorse associated to consumerism. Bibliographical research and critical analysis of the available literature also played an important part, despite the fact not a substantial amount of work has been published on this subject. Consumer guilt has been defined as “a negative emotion which stems from the anxiety created by a decision that violates the consumer’s moral standards or rules” (Lascu, 1991), a decision that may dictate whether a purchase will be made or not. As such, this thesis also aims to systematise and study the characteristics, dimensions and effects of guilt in situations where consumer guilt may be found. It is also explored the concept of cause-related marketing, its historic evolution, types and possible connections with consumer guilt, especially regarding marketing communication strategies. We also propose a model capable of describing consumer guilt by systematising its components, in order to verify exactly what influences this phenomenon and which types of guilt are most relevant. This work’s emphasis on guilt, its dimensions and mostly which are most relevant to the consumer guilt experience is what clearly sets it apart from other bodies of work. We also provide suggestions and ideas on how to approach this subject and particularly on the creation of strategies to diminish guilt, as well as leads for future research in the field.

Date of Award	31 May 2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Silva (Supervisor)