Emotional Versus Informational: How Does Ad Appeal Influence Consumer Empathy and Responses to Cause‐Related Marketing Campaigns

ABSTRACT This study examines how emotional versus informational appeals in cause‐related marketing (CRM) ads affect consumer responses through empathy (cognitive and affective empathy), and tests the moderating roles of ad focus and brand type. Drawing on the heuristic‐systematic model (HSM), two laboratory experiments were conducted following the principle of random assignment and between‐subjects design. Study 1 ( N = 267) employed a 2 (ad appeal: emotional vs. informational) × 2 (ad focus: cause‐focused vs. product‐oriented) design, and Study 2 ( N = 314) used a 2 (ad appeal: emotional vs. informational) × 2 (brand type: warmth vs. competence) design. Results show that emotional ads boost responses via affective empathy when the ad is cause‐focused or the brand is warm. Informational ads work better through cognitive empathy when the ad is product‐oriented or the brand is competent. This study is the first to apply the HSM framework to CRM ad appeals, providing insights into the underlying process of these moderating effects.