CSR refers to business practices that benefit society (e.g., employees, local community), the environment, and consumers (e.g., consumer health). Rather than focusing on profits alone, CSR-oriented firms are committed towards minimizing harmful effects, and maximizing beneficial effects, of business processes on society. As empirical research on the marketing benefits of CSR is still rare, context-specific, and narrow in scope, firms lack knowledge of how to adapt their CSR strategy across countries to maximize their marketing benefits.

  The results of this research indicate that consumer perceptions of a firm’s CSR impact consumer attitudes and consumer loyalty not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries, for different reasons. While consumers in developing countries frequently are not as demanding as consumers in developed countries, they often feel they cannot trust in the fulfillment of domestic firms’ ethical obligations. In developing countries CSR can remedy lack of trust in corporate practices and thus leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

  Further research investigates regional differences in the influence of CSR, both regarding the overall influence and regarding the underlying psychological processes. Another research project examines the influence of environmental CSR in artificial intelligence products and the regional variation in this influence.