Comparing Corporate Social Responsibility and Conventional Promotion: The Conceptual Credibility–Reach–Return Model

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and conventional promotion are commonly evaluated through separate managerial logics, leaving unresolved how they differ as pathways for creating communication and stakeholder value. This conceptual paper develops the Credibility–Reach–Return (CRR) model to compare substantive CSR with conventional promotion without treating either approach as universally superior. An integrative conceptual synthesis connects CSR, advertising, cause-related marketing, source credibility, signaling, stakeholder theory, corporate reputation, and the resource-based view. The model proposes that observable and externally verified CSR may strengthen credibility; relational and earned diffusion may create deeper, though not necessarily broader, reach; and sustained, authentic CSR may contribute to longer-horizon reputational and relational returns. Conventional promotion remains more suitable when speed, precise message control, market entry, baseline awareness, or short-cycle response is required. Three small, closed LinkedIn polls are retained only as an exploratory professional-network illustration and not as model validation. Their non-probability, self-selected, single-item design, unknown respondent characteristics, and possible participant overlap prevent causal or population-level inference. The paper contributes a conditional comparison, theory-linked propositions, and a research agenda for matched experimental, longitudinal, and multi-source testing.