Spill-over Characterization of Brand Transgression: A Study of Micro and Macro level Effects

Abstract

Brand related crises are becoming very common which are considered as brand transgression. This study examines the spill-over effects of expert, empathic, exclusive and expressive brand transgression. Based on the mixed method approach, the results offer evidence that all four types of brand transgressions have an adverse impact upon the attitude and behavioural intentions towards the transgressing brand and other brands from the same country and country image. This suggests the presence of reverse country-of-origin effect and also confirms that brand categories that are not associated with the transgressing brand but strongly associated with the country-of-origin of a transgressing brand are likely to experience negative spill-over effects, although doing nothing wrong.