ABSTRACT
This article aimed to analyze, comparatively, the bank customers’ reactions to investments focused on their interest and on social and environmental responsibility initiatives, and aimed to further compare the evaluations of actions of bank and supermarkets in the Brazilian city of João Pessoa. Initially, a theoretical review was conducted, which resulted in five hypotheses (and three sub hypotheses), that were evaluated using an experimental 2x3 factorial design. In the field survey, data from 249 respondents were obtained, and the hypotheses were analyzed by Student’s t test and analysis of variance. The results indicate that consumers, without being exposed to advertising stimuli of social and environmental responsibility, have more favorable reactions to initiatives in their interest; when they have to position themselves facing stimuli, social and environmental investments bring better evaluations. Regarding the analysis by company type, the effects on attitude, preference and willingness to recommend, when associated to banks, were worse evaluated, compared to supermarkets.
Social and environmental responsibility; Customer interest; Banks
