First, the study results indicated that the effect of
pre-schemas on post-schemas was more for males than
females. Therefore, apparel brands targeting male
consumers can particularly benefit from building favorable
brand schemas in consumer’s minds about brands’ SR
practices. This can be easier to accomplish in the early
stages of brand image building when the schemas formed
are not so strong and personal, therefore less resistant to
change (Macrae and Bodenhausen, 2000). Once a strong
and personal schema is established in consumers’ minds,
male consumers tend to fall back on their existing schemas
about the brand consistently to form their future schemas.
In an age of information transparency and intense media
scrutiny where brands are often attacked for their corporate
wrongdoings, it is important that brands consistently
maintain favorable brand schemas to come across
persuasive in their SR efforts. This is especially important
for products targeting male consumers, for whom,
pre-schema influences post-schemas about brands’ SR
efforts.