The Impact of the Corporate Social Responsibility on Customer Satisfaction through the Awareness and Reputation of Brands and Trust in them

The success of organizations depends on customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is one of the most important marketing structures, so examining the factors affecting customer satisfaction is a key concern for marketers, especially at a time when consumers think of seemingly different brands as similar. Managers of organizations take various measures to achieve this goal. One of the most important steps forward for managers in this field is the use of corporate social responsibility. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the role of corporate social responsibility on customer satisfaction through the mediation of brand awareness, brand reputation, and brand trust. In terms of purpose, the present study is an applied type, from the point of view of data collection, it is a descriptive and survey type, and, in terms of nature, it is correlational. The statistical population of the study consists of the recipients of insurance services from Iran Insurance Company in Bushehr. The sampling method is a common one, and the data collection tool is a questionnaire. As many as 389 questionnaires were distributed and collected among the customers of Iran Insurance Company in person, and the data analysis was done through structural equation modeling and PLS and SPSS software programs. After the collection of the data and the implementation of the structural equation model, the research hypotheses were tested. The research findings showed that playing the role of corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant effect on brand awareness, brand reputation, and brand trust which, in turn, have a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Finally, corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction by mediating the brand awareness, brand reputation, and brand trust. The findings showed that playing the role of corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant effect on brand awareness. In fact, this hypothesis states that the more Iran Insurance Company and other companies get involved in social responsibility activities, the more they become known in the society and the more people become aware of them. Thus, they can reap the benefits of being recognized in the society. Therefore, brand awareness is a determining factor when choosing a product or service; it plays an important role in the consumer’s purchasing decision-making. Therefore, every company should try to create awareness about its activities related to social responsibility in order to establish itself in the minds of customers.  Corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant effect on brand trust. In fact, brand trust is an asset and a tool for survival that has the ability to create superior value for the organization. It should be given special attention because development and maintaining brand trust is one of the ways to achieve long-term relationships with customers and plays an important role in creating long-term benefits for the company. In fact, customers as potential beneficiaries of the company do not only pay attention to the economic value of consumption but also consider the social performance of the company. Therefore customers can have more confidence in the products and services provided by the company that takes responsibility in its activities and has responsible behavior towards the society.  Corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant effect on brand reputation. In fact, it serves as a tool to strengthen brand reputation. In other words, both consumers and companies pay close attention to the reputation of what they buy and sell. Brand awareness has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Therefore, according to the findings of this study, as the customers’ knowledge of the brand is raised, their satisfaction increases. Brand trust has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Therefore, this hypothesis states that trust is important and undeniable in gaining customer satisfaction. Brand reputation has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is hypothesized that, when managers of organizations take the necessary steps in the field of brand reputation and do this continuously, it leads to increased satisfaction. Brand reputation is an achievement that the company achieves over time. Customers also think that a brand can meet their expectations through its reputation. So their satisfaction increases. The importance of brand reputation is that consumers rely on the brand reputation and decide to buy if they do not have enough information about the products. Finally, corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction by mediating brand awareness, brand reputation, and brand trust.