Managing the product-harm crisis in the digital era: The role of consumer online brand community engagement

Abstract

This research examines the influence of consumer online brand community engagement (OBCE) at a time of product-harm crisis on consumers’ cognitive responses and behavioral reactions toward the affected brand’s super-recovery effort. Data were collected from members of Samsung’s online brand community in China during the brand’s Galaxy Note 7 battery crisis. The results show that OBCE has a direct as well as indirect effect on repurchase intention through the mediation of consumer forgiveness. In contrast, brand super-recovery effort has a weak direct effect on repurchase intention, and its effect is mainly indirect through consumer forgiveness. The findings suggest that higher levels of consumer brand engagement and forgiveness can offset the negative consequences of brand scandals, highlighting the importance of fostering customer engagement in the brand’s online communities. The findings have important implications for both theory and practice.