Examining the Impact of Corporate Social Advocacy on Customer Citizenship Behavior Among University Students: The Mediating Roles of Brand Electronic-Word-of Mouth

In this study, we examine the impact of corporate social advocacy campaigns on customer behavior, a subject which has garnered increasing interest yet remains in need of empirical evidence. We employ the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to assess the relationship between corporate social advocacy and customer citizenship behavior while considering the mediating effects of brand attachment and electronic word of mouth. Adopting a quantitative approach using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling and a convenience sampling method, we questioned a total of 219 university-level students via a survey. University students are theoretically relevant, as they are digitally active, socially conscious, and engaged in relational rather than transactional institutional relationships, which heightens their sensitivity to advocacy initiatives and their likelihood of exhibiting extra-role behaviors. Our results show that the social advocacy of universities can directly impact the extra-role behavior of their students, which can manifest in their behaviors (i.e., helping others, providing feedback, and advocacy for the organization). These findings are beneficial for scholars as well as practitioners in academia (i.e., managers and marketing departments). Genuine, value-driven, and socially just advocacies can be enhanced with proper messaging, providing better strategic positioning for universities as socially responsible and conscious organizations, in keeping with the values of younger generations. This indicates that corporate involvement could primarily drive long-term brand success and consumer trust.