Over the past years, companies faced immense competition and it became difficult to remain competitive by just focusing on their positioning on product differentiation. To remain competitive, businesses try to address societal challenges and compassionately promote their brand. Engaging in cause-related marketing is one aspect of corporate social responsibility. However, consumers do not always show trust in the intentions of businesses involved in cause-related campaigns and develop skepticism regarding such campaigns. This study investigates the influence of demographics in this skepticism regarding cause-related marketing campaigns performed by companies and the impact of this skepticism on various outcomes such as negative word of mouth and patronage intention. In addition, the current study addresses the moderating impact of attitude toward a brand image on the relationship between skepticism and its outcomes. The conceptual framework aimed to find out the impact of cause-related marketing on consumers' conceptual and behavioral outcomes. To achieve the objectives of the present study, a quantitative methodology was utilized, gathering data from 409 respondents. The findings of the present study reveal that women and younger age groups tend to be more skeptical than men and older age groups. There is a positive relationship between skepticism toward cause-related marketing and its outcomes as proposed by the study. Moreover, the findings stated that attitude toward brand image moderates the relationship between skepticism and its negative outcomes by weakening the relationship by expanding our knowledge of the fundamental effects of cause-related marketing, this study adds to the body of knowledge in the marketing field. It also provides insights into cause-related marketing outcomes for marketers and business managers, enabling them to understand better how customer skepticism affects the campaign's outcomes.

Keywords: Cause-Related Marketing, Attitude Toward Brand Image, Skepticism Toward Cause-Related Marketing, Negative Word of Mouth, Patronage Intention.