Examining the Relationship between Social Responsibility and Customer Loyalty in the Banking Sector

This study examines the impact of social responsibility (CSR) on brand image including trust (TRU), satisfaction (SAT), and customer loyalty (LOY) in the banking sector. According to the results of the PLS-SEM analysis used in the study based on survey data conducted in February 2025 in Vietnam, social responsibility is an important factor in the eyes of customers to decide to use, trust and stick with the bank they are using for a long time. CSR has a strong impact on satisfaction but has a weak direct impact on loyalty. CSR indirectly impacts loyalty through intermediary factors such as satisfaction and trust. In particular, brand trust (TRU) plays an intermediary role but the level of impact is lower than satisfaction (SAT). The study also shows that satisfaction (SAT) is a key factor to exploit as it is the most important intermediary in connecting CSR with TRU and LOY.