Abstract

This study empirically examines how corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages are received by consumers from the perspectives of industry type (controversial vs. non-controversial), perceived CSR fit (high vs. low), and communication channel (corporate vs. independent media) through a three-way interaction framework. Results from an experiment involving 376 consumers indicate that all main effects (industry type, CSR fit) and the secondary and tertiary interaction effects were statistically significant. In non-controversial industries, CSR fit positively influenced consumer evaluations, with minimal differences observed across communication channels. Conversely, in controversial industries, a complex interaction among the three variables played a critical role in shaping consumer responses. Notably, high-fit CSR messages delivered via SNS (corporate channel) elicited the most positive reactions, while low-fit messages transmitted through independent media, such as online news outlets, resulted in the lowest evaluations. Both in controversial and non-controversial industries, the two-way interaction between the variables and the three-way interaction were statistically validated, indicating that CSR communication strategies should comprehensively consider industry context, message content, and delivery channel coherence. This research provides practical insights for firms in controversial industries to effectively design and deliver CSR messages.