The Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Brand Preference (Case Study: Tehran Enghelab Cultural Sport Club)

The significant role of sport brands in the modern society provides a unique place for this industry to address social issues and seek benefits for consumers, organizations and bigger society. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of corporate social responsibility on the brand preference of Enghlab club from customers’ viewpoints. This study was descriptive-analytical and applied in terms of objectives which was conducted by internet and email. The population included all customers of Tehran Enghelab sport and cultural club. Simple random sampling method was used to select the customers of this club. The data were collected by the standard Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Preference Questionnaire developed by Matthew Thingchi Liu et al. (2014). Structural equation modeling by partial least squares method and PLS software were used at the significance level of 0.05. The results showed that all three dimensions of corporate social responsibility (i.e. environment, society and stakeholders) had a direct and significant effect on brand preference of Tehran Enghelab cultural sport club. These dimensions also had a significant effect on brand preference of this club with the mediating role of brand perceived quality. Therefore, activities that are part of social responsibility lead to a good image of the club brand and a positive experience among the present and potential customers of that brand and result in their satisfaction from the brand preference.