Brand hate, rage, anger & co.: Exploring the relevance and characteristics of negative consumer emotions toward brands

Abstract

Negative consumer emotions increasingly attract the attention of brand researchers and managers. Especially in today’s digital world, these emotions can cause considerable damage to a brand through widespread communication. A growing body of brand research has recently investigated negative emotions. However, most studies focus on brand hate, while other negative emotions receive less attention. Based on five studies, this article provides comprehensive empirical findings on negative brand emotions. Study 0 identifies seven negative emotions that are particularly common in the context of brands. Study 1 maps the perceived (dis)similarities between the seven emotions. Study 2 defines them with regard to their nature. Study 3 provides a profile for all seven emotions based on key characteristics (intensity, duration, control, activity, physical effort, and mental effort). Study 4 analyzes the correlations of the seven emotions with behavioral outcomes (negative word-of-mouth, online complaining, complaining, brand switching, brand avoidance, and revenge).