Abstract

The paper aims to understand through primary research the effectiveness of advertising where corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages are given in an international marketing context in a developing country. The work would benefit marketers devise their international marketing strategy and would give new insights into positioning a brand strategically in the developing world. The discussion is on the practice of Telenor, a Norwegian telecommunications company in Bangladesh, a South East Asian country.
Other than the commonly perceived utility of corporate reputation management and risk reduction, CSR can contribute to individual brand identity development. A company that integrates CSR in its business operations and strategies may increase sales and market share and strengthen the image and positioning of its brands. Communicating CSR activities is a way of strengthening a brand, but literature is not definitive as to the nature of CSR communication and few experimental studies have been undertaken to understand the overall impact where CSR is a major focus in advertising. Moreover, there are very few research studies undertaken in the context of developing countries involving large low income consumer groups conceptualized as Bottom of the Pyramid consumers whose understanding and perceptions toward CSR may vary from that of the developed world. The paper aims to fill in this gap.