Journal of International and Advanced Japanese Studies, Volume 14 (2022)

Research Note

A Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility and Advertising:
A Case Study of Japanese Mobile Companies
Mariia Kalianova1
Abstract
Consumer behavior research shows that implementing a CSR strategy positively affects
customer loyalty and increases a company's bottom line. However, communicating thesestrategies to consumers remains a challenge. This research tries to contribute to theliterature by focusing on the advertising component of CSR and testing the effectivenessof communicating CSR messages with the public. To this end, an experiment was
conducted with the cooperation of consumers of Japanese mobile companies. Specifically,
I introduce a modified framework that includes CSR Communication Model and CSR
principles. The results indicate that consumers prioritize socially responsible companies ifthey have enough information about CSR programs. On the other hand, if the information
is not available, consumers focus on other benefits, creating doubts about CSR
effectiveness. Furthermore, the impact of CSR increases during disastrous events when
demand for support arises.
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Advertising, Marketing, Mobile Companies,
Japan
1. Introduction
In today's hyper-competitive and rapidly-changing environment, companies have tostruggle to maintain their reputation advantages over others. As a result, many of themutilize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a marketing tool for promoting theircompany's brand and winning over consumer loyalty (Maignan, Ferrell 2001;
Liechtenstein, Drumwright, Braig 2004). Previous research defined CSR as voluntarypolicy companies integrate social, economic, and environmental issues into their businessstrategies (Deegan 2002). The point is that CSR could increase a company's market
values by positively affecting its brand (Bhattacharya, Sen 2004; Du, Bhattacharya, Sen
2007; Bhattacharya, Sen, Korschun 2008; Podnar 2008; Pomering, Johnson 2009). On
the side of consumers, Pomering and Johnson (2009) find that most people haveexpectations for companies to have an active position on pressing issues, but, at the sametime, many do not trust a company's social standing (Pomering, Dolnicar 2009; Miltenberg2013). This dilemma creates a necessity for companies to have different comprehensive
communication channels.
Among the channels used to convey CSR messages, advertising is one of the mostpractical tools for reaching consumers (Pomering, Johnson 2009; Seele, Lock 2015; Illia,
Romenti, Rodriguez-Canovas, Carroll 2017). In comparison to other channels, such as
corporate reports or public statements, advertising provides an advantage by using audio
and visual methods of communication. However, considering that advertising stays acontroversial marketing approach, as it may raise doubts among consumers (Du et al.
2010), previous studies have mainly focused on inhibiting distrust toward advertising
1 PhD Candidate, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba. Contact:s1936003@s.tsukuba.ac.jp
2022 Journal of International and Advanced Japanese Studies, Master’s and Doctoral Program in International and Advanced© 2021
Japanese Studies, Degree Programs in Humanities and Social Sciences, Graduate School of Business Sciences, Humanities andSocial Sciences, University of Tsukuba

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Mariia KALIANOVA, A Framework for CSR and Advertisingconnected with cynicism about companies' intentions (Schlegelmilch, Pollach 2005; Vande Ven 2008; Dunn, Harness 2019). In this way, this paper provides valuable empiricalinput for the debate by examining CSR advertising's effectiveness.
Regarding the impact of CSR, Du et al. (2010) defined a conceptual framework formeasuring CSR communication effectiveness. In this sense, a positive perception of acompany's corporate social responsibility demonstrates a greater willingness to buy its
products and, consequently, is associated with long-term loyalty and consumers' advocacy
behavior. However, several researchers (Bhattacharya, Sen 2003; Pomering, Johnson2009) highlight that it remains unclear whether companies can gain a competitive
advantage through CSR, as consumers will first respond to advertising or price and then to
CSR. In light of this, this paper utilizes the CSR Communication Model (Du et al. 2010)
and CSR theory (Boulstridge, Carrigan 2000) to measure the impact of CSR advertising on
the brand.
To the best of the author's knowledge, the literature on CSR theory and practice focuseson its impact in a Western context (Birch, Moon 2004). For this reason, this paper uses acase study of Japanese mobile companies' consumers (NTT Docomo, KDDI.au andSoftbank Mobile) to fill an empirical gap in the academic literature on CSR activities
perception in Japan.
2. CSR and communication
In marketing, communications are critical when there is no customer experience or when
the product is indistinguishable in terms of consumer characteristics. Depending on theratio of these factors, specific characteristics of modality, strength, and attitude to thebrand are formed (Thompson 2003).
The phenomenon of consumers’ attitude to brands includes the social identification of theconsumer, one’s direction in the world of various goods and services, the removal ofemotional stress in the context of "tyranny of choice" (Schwartz 2004), and others. This
process also includes factors of the consumer's acquaintance with the product andmarketing communications from the side of the brand.
According to Corporate Social Responsibility communication theory (Du et al. 2010), social
support has emerged as a critical marketing tool to position the company's brand as anactive part of society rather than a passive recipient of profit (Hilton 2003; Hachley,
Tiwsakul 2006). However, debate arises when it comes to the impact of CSR on consumer
attitudes. For example, Du et al. (2010) argue that a positive perception of a company's
corporate social responsibility demonstrates a greater willingness to buy the company's
products and, as a consequence, is associated with long-term loyalty and advocacy
behavior (Figure 1).

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However, Bhattacharya, Good and Sardashti (2020) suggest that even if CSR helps
distinguish a brand from others, the impact on attitudes toward a company is negligible.
This is linked to the fact that customers do not want to pay much attention to external signsof quality in stable economic times (Melo, Galan 2011)
Among the tools used to communicate CSR, advertising is defined as corporate
communication designed to improve a company's image (Pomering 2011). However,despite the growing use of CSR advertising in marketing communications, Pomering andJohnson (2009) pointed out that CSR advertising could cause negative reactions andconsumer skepticism instead of fulfilling intended aims. For example, cynicism aboutcompanies' intentions or low trust in advertising (Schlegelmilch, Pollach 2005) can be
detrimental to the effectiveness of social information. Moreover, a company will receive
positive outcomes only if its CSR strategy is not copied by competitors (Hoppe, LehmannGrube 2001).
3. Disaster relief CSR
The concept of "disaster" can be interpreted differently depending on the subject thatdefines it. For example, from the perspective of private companies, "disaster" is theoccurrence of an insured event that may lead to financial losses (Kousky, Kunreuther2018). On the other hand, for a society, "disaster" represents the risk of losing property
and health due to adverse natural phenomena (Botzen, Deschenes, Sanders 2019).
In Japan, interest in disaster response increased after the Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake in 1995, followed by the economic crisis. As a result, companies had to rethinktheir relationship with consumers (Tanimoto 2002; Kambaiashi 2015). Therefore, in 2003,
also known as "the first year of CSR,” Japanese companies established CSR units andaimed to follow social interests (Hosoda, Suzuki 2015: 628).
In recent years, CSR trends in Japan have changed in response to a series of events. For
example, the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, prompted the need for79

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rapid response to natural disasters and an awareness of the importance of corporate risk
management (Eweje, Sakaki 2015).
Another example, the coronavirus pandemic, represents a uniquely gruesome challenge
for the everyday life of people, which raises a need for well-thought-out CSR initiatives(He, Harris 2020). Since the health impact of a pandemic is classed as a disaster, CSR isdefined as corporate philanthropy that includes activities in a disaster (Wang, Tong,
Takeuchi, George 2016). This statement is supported by the examples of leading mobile
companies in Japan. For example, Docomo, KDDI.au and SoftBank have developed a
new disaster preparedness system covering various areas. Their main goals are to ensure
the safety of people and peace of mind by providing communication capabilities,
responding as quickly as possible in disaster areas, and providing customer convenienceduring a disaster. In summary, companies decided to use CSR to solve such social
problems (Eweje, Sakaki 2015), which led to CSR policies becoming socially desirable andbeneficial for business (Eweje 2014).
4. Development of a CSR framework
The basic CSR model of Du et al. (2010) is used to develop a new proposed model
incorporating a two-tier process and results framework. The model also integrates the
CSR constructs defined by Boulstridge and Carrigan (2000) in the form of the impact of
CSR on the brand. Overall, this paper recognizes that CSR advertising can influence
brand acceptance (Pomering, Johnson 2009). However, so far, this assumption has not
thoroughly been tested. Therefore, this model tries to explain the effectiveness of CSR
advertising based on the cases of mobile companies in Japan and use the three CSR
constructs: CSR Communication and advertising, Consumer’s Decision-Making Process,and CSR Outcomes.
4.1 CSR communication and advertising
In Japan, responsible business philosophy implies that companies must consider thetripartite interests of sellers, buyers, and communities (Tanimoto 2013). However,according to the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (2010), although Japanesecompanies agree that CSR is an important tool in business management, they still
perceive it as a required response to legal or social needs.
The CSR communication principle (Du et al. 2010), applied to advertisements for mobile
companies in Japan, finds that one of the CSR initiatives in disaster relief activities also
includes intentions regarding network reliability. Companies distinguish three basic work
principles during emergencies: increasing the system's reliability, ensuring the necessarycommunication, and rapidly restoring communication services (NTT Docomo Sustainability
Report 2020: 90). During a disaster, regular calls and data transmission/reception become
impossible (hereafter "congestion") (Fouladgar, Parchami, Elmasri, Ghaderi 2017). To
prevent this situation and to avoid a large-scale communication system failure due tocongestion, companies create temporary communication channels and expand the rangeof radio waves (Softbank Sustainability Report 2020: 19).
Bhattacharya and Sen (2004) consider that consumers are aware of the need for CSR
activities if they are consistent with the company's intentions. CSR advertisements for
network reliability and CSR communications during disasters have common associations
that are important in achieving consistency between the company and CSR activities.
Thus, in the context of this article, the company's intention to protect communications
during disasters is seen as a central topic for CSR advertising.

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4.2 Consumers’ decision-making process
When a company launches marketing strategies, consumer awareness plays a vital role inresponding to company requests (Du et al. 2010). However, when people are exposed to
CSR communication through advertising, they may experience low trust in advertising in
general (Pomering, Johnson 2009) and skepticism about the credibility of companies'
intentions (Pomering 2011). On the other hand, Carrigan, Szmigin and Wright (2004) notethat consumers increasingly focus on ethical issues and avoid companies whose corporate
brand appears insincere when making purchasing decisions.
In this sense, Du et al. (2010) pointed out in their theoretical work that the links between
traditional standards of choice and buying attitudes are inconsistent. This theory requires
further research; therefore, this paper proposes that the traditional standards of choice(price, quality, and brand awareness) would likely be the most critical decision factors
rather than social activities. Considering previous studies, the theme of advertising, where
CSR is not the main message, was promotional videos containing discounts for young
people.
4.3 Consumers’ attitudes
The emotions and feelings of consumers concerning a particular product are an essential
component of creating an attitude towards a brand (Schiffman 2012). Marketers often thinkof emotions and feelings as evaluative. In other words, they fix the individual's direct or
global assessment of the installation object. Kim, Lim and Bhargava (1998) show that
depending on emotional state, a positive or negative experience can be enhanced, directly
impacting purchasing decisions. Relationships can be associated with specific groups,social events, or causes. Companies regularly mention the social events they sponsor in
their advertisements to educate the public about the benefits they are trying to bring.
Consumer behavior research clearly shows that customer attitudes toward corporatesocial responsibility affect individual company performance, such as loyalty and positive
reputation (Pomering, Johnson 2009; Pomering 2011). However, except those examining
the impact of CSR on a brand (Bhattacharya, Sen 2004; Bhattacharya et al. 2020), theexisting studies cited previously did not examine the specifics of CSR activities concerning
the disaster. Since disasters can affect all aspects of society, including its economy (Ong,
Mayer, Tost, Wellman 2019), companies should improve customer interactions when
making strategic decisions such as corporate social responsibility.
Considering previous studies, this research investigates whether Japanese mobile
companies' current investment in CSR is justified. According to Moliner, Monferrer-Tiradoand Estrada-Guillen (2018), the disconnect between attitudes and outcomes is unclear,suggesting a discrepancy between consumers' thoughts and actions. This argument
suggests that companies' current efforts to strengthen their reputation through CSR may
be less effective than expected. Thus, the proposed design of this research can confirm or
refute the results proposed in the previous literature, especially in terms of the impact on
consumer buying behavior.
5. Methodology: Applying the CSR framework to mobile companies’ practiceGiven the variety of models of corporate social responsibility and the lack of agreement on
this matter (Schlegelmilch, Pollach 2005; Van de Ven 2008; Dunn, Harness 2019), thisresearch has two key objectives. The first objective is to provide valuable empirical input toa useful debate about CSR advertising's effectiveness. The second objective is to fill an
empirical gap in the academic literature on CSR activities perception in Japan. Specifically,81

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one research question ("How does public perception of CSR activities transmitted throughadvertising affect perception of corporate image?") frames this paper.
One case was selected (advertising for mobile companies in Japan) using two types ofDocomo advertising (and that of KDDI and Softbank, the main competitors). In one case,the advertisement contained a CSR message, and in the other, it did not contain a CSR
message. Moreover, there were questions regarding the company's image before andafter advertisements were shown. Using variations of the two strategies acrossadvertisements allows comparing the direct impact of advertising on consumers and theirrelationship to the company (Rahman 2014). Furthermore, consumers' level ofengagement with a product is an essential factor in their responses to the purchase intent
question (Suh, Yi 2006). Thus, target samples were limited to mobile operators.
This paper uses a mixed-method case study to examine Japanese advertising practices
and corporate social responsibility. According to Greene, Caracelli and Graham (1989),
research based on mixed methods combines the strengths of both qualitative andquantitative methods. In other words, a mixed-method approach will provide a better
understanding of the research problem posed (Creswell, Creswell 2017). Both qualitativeand quantitative data were collected through online focus groups and questionnaires
before and after focus groups. The gender distribution of 20 respondents was the same
between women (50%) and men (50%). This is similar to the 2019 report of theCommunication Usage Trend Survey developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications (MIC 2018), which states that the number of mobile phone users inJapan over the age of 20 is 6.6% of women and 6.8% of men. In addition, all respondents
received education at the bachelor's, Master’s, or higher levels. This may reflect the factthat the data was collected at the University of Tsukuba.
The advertisements with CSR messages had themes of disaster relief activities. The
advertisements without CSR had the theme of students' discounts.
Case selection
Japan is an example of a country with extensive mobile phone usage. This is supported bystatistics from 2020, which showed that the total value of mobile contracts was 183.26
million yen (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications 2020). Therefore, thetelecommunication industry occupies a central place in the daily lives of people in Japan.
However, mobile companies are also part of society, and to maintain a successful
business, they must respond to social changes (Oliver, Lepri, Sterly, Lambiotte 2020). For
instance, the COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to governments
and societies around the world. Attracting customers through the provision of highguarantees and functionality is becoming insufficient, so companies use their obligations
to society, especially in CSR activities. One of the main components of CSR is to bring ahuman face to business structures, conveying empathy, understanding and support, both
moral and financial, to those who need it most (Bartik et al. 2020).
According to Oliver et al. (2020), data from mobile operators represent a critical arsenal oftools to support public health action in the early, middle, and late stages of the disaster. In
addition, more people are staying at home due to the spread of the virus, leading toincreased Internet use. Thus, mobile companies can play a crucial role in leading therecovery from disasters and emergencies.
Data collection
As part of the qualitative paradigm, this paper uses three focus groups as a primary datacollection method to benefit interaction between respondents. For the analysis and682Mariia KALIANOVA, A Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility and Advertising

JIAJSMariia KALIANOVA, A Framework for CSR and Advertisinginterpretation of the data, a thematic analysis was used, which uses the resources ofgrounded theory. This method of collecting primary information helps to obtain extensive
and deep knowledge about the research problem. For example, it can help inunderstanding the phenomenon of consumer attitudes towards corporate social
responsibility. During the focus group's discussion, several questions were included toeliminate the manipulation factor and ensure adequate identification of the participants. At
the end of the study, an ad relevance test was conducted to verify that the strategy used
did not influence the participants' discussion.
6. Analysis of findings

Figure 2: Overall Opinion on Advertisements
Overall opinion (Figure 2): After watching the Docomo advertisement with CSR, 55% of
respondents found it good compared with advertisements without CSR (35%) and before
watching any advertisement (30%). Regarding the KDDI.au ads, an almost identicalpercentage of respondents reported that both advertisements with CSR (55%) and without(45%) were good. However, the opposite results were observed in the Softbank case,where 10% fewer respondents found the CSR advertisement better than the one without
CSR (60%).

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Figure 3: Uniqueness of Advertisements
Uniqueness (Figure 3): Half of the respondents (50%) found the Docomo advertisement
without CSR unique compared to the one with CSR (15%). The same results can be seenin the analysis of the KDDI.au CSR advertisement, where 55% fewer respondents found it
unique compared with advertisements without CSR (70%). On the other hand, most
respondents (50%) found the Softbank advertisement unique, compared to theadvertisement without CSR (40%).

Figure 4: Relevance of Advertisements
Relevance (Figure 4): Interestingly, even though the Docomo advertisement dedicated to
student discounts was considered more "unique,” 60% of respondents claim that CSR
advertisement is relevant to them. This is 15% more compared to the advertisement
without CSR. As for KDDI.au, only 10% of respondents agreed that the advertisement
without CSR messages is relevant for them, compared with the CSR advertisement (60%).
The same results can be seen in the analysis of the Softbank advertisement: half (50%) of
respondents agreed that CSR advertisement is relevant for them. In comparison, only 35%
of respondents considered advertising without CSR as such.

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Figure 5: Purchase intent
Purchase Intent (Figure 5): The majority of respondents (55%) answered that they would
like to purchase Docomo's products after watching its advertisement containing a CSR
message. However, 35% of respondents also expressed their interest after watching theadvertisement without CSR. Regarding the KDDI.au advertisement, 40% of respondents
wanted to try the company's products or services after watching advertisements with CSR.
Moreover, similarly to Docomo's case, 35% of respondents wanted to purchase from thecompany after watching the advertisement without CSR. On the other hand, a different
opinion was expressed after watching the Softbank advertisement. Only 20% intended tobuy after watching the advertisement with CSR and 35% after watching the advertisement
without CSR.

Figure 6: Social Image
Social Image (Figure 6): Before watching the advertisement from Docomo, 55% of85

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respondents were already convinced that the company was socially responsible. However,after watching advertising without CSR, the effect decreased by 10% and remained
unchanged after watching the CSR advertisement. In the case of KDDI.au, after watching
the advertisements, minimal difference was observed in advertisements with (55%) andwithout CSR messages (45%). Testing advertisements from Softbank demonstrates
similar results. More than half of respondents (65%) found the company socially
responsible after watching advertisements with CSR messages and after advertisements
without CSR messages (60%).
Overall opinion on the company: Regarding Docomo, the results show that there is nodifference toward the company, between the two cases with and without CSR
advertisements (55%). In contrast, the analysis of KDDI.au indicates significant changes
after watching advertisements with (55%) and without (30%) CSR. On the other hand,
after watching the Softbank advertisement with CSR messaging, 65% of respondents
considered the company good compared to the advertisement without CSR (60%).
7. Results
Unlike previous studies in the field of CSR, direct mention of the term "corporate social
responsibility" most often aroused weak interest in respondents and a reluctant desire tocommunicate on the topic. However, all respondents were able to express their opinions
after the term was rephrased. They all agreed that mobile phone companies in Japan
should not be viewed only as economic constituents of society but constituting an
indisputable social foundation. The results confirm that CSR messaging positively affects
attitudes towards a company and on advertising itself in general. This means that CSR
advertising can act as an image indicator for strengthening and improving corporate
culture.
Until now, opinions about CSR advertising as a marketing tool have been controversial.
The most common skepticism in marketing communications stems from the belief that it is
not profitable for a company to provide genuine social support. This research has
proposed that companies' CSR strategies may be less effective than expected, but theresults obtained show that CSR advertising is an effective way to manage a company's
image. However, this conclusion applies only to a state where the impact of a disasterincreased the need to keep in touch. Moreover, when creating an advertisement, it isnecessary to consider the peculiarities of consumer thinking. Accordingly, for achieving
advertising success, a CSR message should be combined with a creative strategy.
Finally, the findings confirm that even though the respondents welcomed good corporate
behavior, the price factor remained more critical. The study also revealed an interesting
point regarding the effect of an individual's economic position on the choice of thecompany. According to the results, practical factors such as price or recommendation are
essential for consumers who pay independently for their mobile phones. On the other
hand, service and company image are more important for financially dependent
consumers.
Thus, it can be concluded that the introduction of new technologies and the developmentof communication with the consumer is associated with significant investments and is oneof the priority problems for a mobile company. In this regard, increasing the duration ofsome discounts and programs, especially the period characterized by tremendous
opportunities, could be relevant. Likewise, forming an effective communication policy will
help responsible companies receive additional benefits from raising consumer awarenessof CSR activities.

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The findings were applied to the model presented by Du et al. (2010) (Figure 1). The
resulting model (Figure 7) shows the areas where the earlier model demonstrates thedriving forces behind the perception of CSR communication.

Figure 7: Developed CSR communication
8. Discussion
What makes the proposed CSR structure unique is the environment in which CSR
advertising operates. While companies or marketers may not prevent disaster, they canlimit its negative impact by engaging in CSR activities. Using CSR in an environment
where the customer needs social support can effectively strengthen brand communication.
According to Bendell and Ng (2009), environmental pollution and health problems drive
companies to use CSR in Asia. Although CSR research in Western countries has been
extensively developed over several decades, consumers' CSR perception in Asiansocieties, especially in Japan, has been minimal. This study complements the literature by
empirically examining consumer perceptions of corporate social responsibility advertisingand its impact on purchasing decisions in Japan.
Another element that makes the current context unique is the presence of additional
advertising tools compared with CSR. Early research has already raised the question that
CSR is undoubtedly crucial for companies in communicating with consumers, but they also
recognize that price or quality often takes precedence. This argument also guides thisstudy. Combining the elements presented makes this area an interesting forum for CSR
research and developing a framework for developing a strategy in practice. Thus, thisstudy contributes to a better understanding of the gap between primary attitudes andbehavior: consumers report a positive attitude towards a company that uses CSR, but thispositive attitude is not reflected in actual buying behavior. While a company's corporate
image is a factor that can influence attitudes towards the company, other factors have amore significant impact, thereby limiting the direct impact of corporate responsibility. Thisdistinction between attitude and actual behavior allows us to look at consumer
participation in CSR communication from a different angle.
In conclusion, the proposed framework adapts the principles of the CSR Communication
Model by Du et al. (2010) and the CSR principles of Boulstridge and Carrigan (2000),87

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applying them to the practice of Japanese companies. The revised structure introduces anessential aspect of choice and reflects the need for further study. Thus, the impact incorporate social responsibility is far from unambiguous and depends on several different
factors, including the environment in which the consumer is located and the level of his
interest in other advertising tools. In addition, it is essential to consider the country's
cultural characteristics, as this is an integral part of the impact on CSR communication.
Further research may apply this concept to other marketing tool processes besides
advertising. This will help test the robustness and generalizability of the proposed model.
In addition, applying the model to company practice could help improve the developmentof a CSR strategy by identifying the inherent strengths and weaknesses of initiatives andcreating opportunities for companies to be more socially responsible.
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