HYGIENE ANXIETY AND BRAND LOVE OF CONSUMERS: LESSONS FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The current study analyzed the hygiene anxiety of consumers within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hygiene anxiety means the state of being worried about the cleanliness of purchased or to-be-purchased products/services that may cause illness. It is hypothesized that the hygiene anxiety experienced by consumers with strong emotional bonds with their brands - consumers who love the brand - would not reduce their purchasing intentions. In the first study, unexpectedly, it was found that the purchase intention of consumers with higher brand love significantly decreased when their hygiene anxiety was triggered. In the second study, what can reduce the hygiene anxiety of consumers is qualitatively inquired. Direct and indirect anxiolytic efforts were discovered. Indirect efforts are the brand's hygienic image, brand trust, and country of origin. Direct efforts are categorized under a hygienic 3P (product, promotion, and place) concept inspired by the classical marketing mix (4P).