Many studies have demonstrated that cause-related marketing (CRM) can impact consumer choice, but its impact can depend on many factors. In this study, we examined the role that team identification can play in the relationship between CRM and consumer choice of team-licensed products. A discrete choice experiment with 119 college students indicates that CRM influenced consumer choices of team-licensed products. Participants preferred team-licensed products that support a cause with a broad appeal. However, this preference was mostly evident among those participants with a low identification with a team. Those participants highly identified with a team seemed to be mostly driven by their sole desire to purchase a product from their team regardless of the support to the cause. These results suggest that social causes exert more influence and provide an extra reason to buy team-licensed products when motivation to buy is low.
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