ABSTRACT To meet rising sustainability demands, companies increasingly use social media to communicate product‐related CSR initiatives. Consumers' interactions with these messages largely depend on the messages' perceived credibility. However, there remains limited understanding of how firms combine communication characteristics into distinct patterns and how these patterns influence consumer interactions. This study applies latent class cluster analysis to real‐world social media posts to identify four distinct communication patterns: (a) execution of product‐related CSR practices; (b) transparent information and engagement; (c) transparent information and (external) validation; and (d) no detailed information. Using ANOVAs, the study further examines how these patterns influence consumer interactions. Results indicate that there is no significant difference in consumer interactions between vague and precise information. However, adding validations or engagement to posts with detailed information unexpectedly decreases consumer interactions. The study highlights the need for firms to strategically and proactively shape product‐related CSR content for social media success.
Derenthal et al. (Fri,) studied this question.