Understanding the impacts of corporate social responsibility and brand attributes on brand equity in the restaurant industry

This study aims to understand how corporate social responsibility (CSR) toward food, environment, employment, and community affects the dimensions of brand equity. It also examines the roles of size, segment, and brand identity in the relationship between CSR and brand equity in the restaurant industry. A set of five surveys with hypothetical CSR situations was used. The results of analyses indicate that CSR has a positive impact on brand equity depending on brand size, segment, and identity as well as a type of CSR. This study suggests that restaurants’ social responsibilities should not be simplified with a single measure of CSR as each type of CSR builds a particular aspect of brand equity. Brand attributes such as brand size, segment, and identity also extend the understanding of the CSR-brand equity relationship.