The Nexus Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Loyalty Building Among Generation Z Consumers in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

This study examines the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand loyalty building among Generation Z consumers in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Three dimensions of CSR community development initiatives, environmental responsibility, and ethical business practices are tested as independent predictors of Gen Z brand loyalty using simple regression analysis. Primary data were collected from 243 Gen Z consumers (born 1997–2012) in Yenagoa through a structured questionnaire. Results show that community development initiatives (β = 0.527, R² = 0.278, p < 0.01), environmental responsibility (β = 0.494, R² = 0.244, p < 0.01), and ethical business practices (β = 0.508, R² = 0.258, p < 0.01) each significantly predict Gen Z brand loyalty. These findings establish that CSR is not peripheral goodwill spending for firms targeting Generation Z in the Nigerian market but a strategically consequential driver of the loyalty that this digitally connected, values-driven, and socially conscious generation extends to brands that demonstrably act with purpose. The study contributes novel empirical evidence from a Gen Z-specific developing economy context and provides actionable strategic guidance for brand managers, CSR practitioners, and marketing policymakers.