In a global context characterized by consumers increasingly aware of ethical, social, and environmental implications of their purchasing decisions, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and brand authenticity have established themselves as strategic factors for differentiation and loyalty. Based on this premise, the study aimed to analyze the relationships among perceived CSR compliance, brand authenticity, purchase intention, and consumer loyalty, while also evaluating the mediating role of perceived authenticity. A cross-sectional, quantitative experimental design was used. Participants were divided into three groups, each exposed to a fictitious advertisement for a cosmetics brand with varying levels of reference to CSR practices (high, moderate, and none). Data were collected using a thirty-nine-item structured questionnaire with high internal consistency (α 0.90), which assessed four dimensions: CSR, brand authenticity, purchase intention, and loyalty. The results showed that the group exposed to the highest level of CSR obtained the highest scores in all dimensions, while the group with no references regarding CSR compliance showed the lowest values, revealing positive and significant relationships between all variables (ρ ≥ 0.791), especially the link between CSR and purchase intention (ρ = 0.924). It was confirmed that CSR explains 96.5% of the variability in brand authenticity and that this, in turn, explains 95.3% of repurchase intention. Furthermore, the mediating role of authenticity in the relationship between CSR and purchase intention was demonstrated, and it was concluded that CSR, when perceived as authentic, constitutes a powerful catalyst for purchase intention and loyalty, which reinforces the need for coherent, culturally adapted, and sustainable strategies.
Muñoz et al. (Wed,) studied this question.