Consumers are much more likely to buy products from companies that support social causes -- and nonprofit organizations -- than from companies that don’t. This is the key finding of a new study conducted by Duke University and cause marketing agency Cone, Inc. The study analyzed the effects of advertisements for toothpaste and shampoo brands on 182 consumers – some of whom viewed generic ads, while the rest of the consumers viewed “cause marketing” ads emphasizing the company’s partnership with a nonprofit organization to advance a particular social cause.