Determinants of brand equity: Communication of corporate social responsibility (CSR) versus CSR itself and company credibility

This research aims to develop the model of corporate social responsibility (CSR) image in building brand equity as empirical support for the model proposed by Chahal and Sharma (2006) and Hoeffler and Keller (2002). Data from 564 individual potential consumers were collected using on-line and off-line surveys and were analyzed by implementing the two-step approach of structural equation modeling (SEM). The main finding is that CSR communication has a greater role in creating brand equity than CSR dimensions and company credibility. A new and important finding is that CSR image acts as a mediating variable. These results imply that CSR communication is a strategic tool to eliminate stakeholders' skepticism toward CSR activity, consequently building strong brand equity value. Some practical implications and avenues for future research are also explained.