Brand Avoidance Research Articles

Can you bear with me? A comparison study of multifaceted discrepancy–brand avoidance relationships between China and the USA

PurposeBrand information is ubiquitous online and offline; consumers exhibit brand avoidance tendencies towards brand stimuli when there is a discrepancy between a brand image/personality and one’s self-concept. Given the multifaceted culturally constituted self-domains and self-importance, this research investigates how cultural variation affects reactions to self-brand discrepancy, considering two types of narcissist orientations.Design/methodology/approachUsing national culture as proxy for cultural orientation, sample data were collected through surveys administered to 410 participants (210 in China and 200 in the USA). A multi-group structural equation model was adopted to examine the conceptual model and proposed hypotheses. The follow-up qualitative study was conducted to allow further discussion of the quantitative results.FindingsThe results show that self-brand discrepancy can only be converted into brand avoidance tendency through the activation of cognitive dissonance for both Americans and Chinese. Specifically, for Chinese consumers only (ideal) social identity self-brand discrepancies can activate avoidance behaviour. In addition, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism orientations co-exist for both Chinese and Americans, these negatively moderate the relationship between social self-brand discrepancies and cognitive dissonance. For US consumers, idealised identity discrepancies mitigate dissonance; only those with a vulnerable narcissistic orientation would act on avoidance when experiencing dissonance.Originality/valueBy incorporating cultural variations in the investigations of self-brand discrepancy, this paper advances existing knowledge on dissonance and coping mechanisms. In addition, by bringing narcissistic orientations to the fore, it allows for a deeper understanding of how these cultural variations operate. In addition, our research provides important guidelines for brand practitioners to better leverage their marketing campaigns in offline and online contexts and to reduce brand avoidance tendencies across the international marketplace.

Strategic incentives and natural capital accounting for sustainable supply chain management: Measuring reputational impacts and consumers’ perceptions of the use of water through behavioural experimental studies

Within a sustainable supply chain management approach, this study investigates strategic issues that can either favour or impede the implementation of natural capital accounting. Among other things, the originality of such consists of the joint consideration of sustainability, operational, and reputational issues, forging the link between measuring the use of natural resources and preserving companies' intangible capital. More specifically, through two scenario-based behavioural experiments with a total sample of 252 consumers in the UK, we analyse how information regarding the use of water (i.e., water footprint) affects firms' reputation (i.e., trust, attitude towards the firm, word-of-mouth, brand avoidance). We also investigate consumers' perceptions when companies seek to (1) increase the transparency of their consumption of natural capital (i.e., a conceptual proxy for the adoption of natural capital accounting) and (2) rationalize this consumption (i.e., a goal aligned with the objectives of natural capital accounting). The method employed is adequate as it allows the detection and measurement of respondents' perceptions of specific issues presented in the different scenarios. The choice of the UK as the setting reflects the importance of the country in the fashion industry, as it has a solid consumer base and is home to several international fashion brands. The supply chain management scope refers to the link between water consumption (which often takes place in the production of raw materials (e.g., cotton) and in transformation processes (e.g., fabric dyeing, tanning) by suppliers), fashion brands' reputation, and consumers' perceptions, with the joint consideration of these four phases sustaining the delimitation. Building on the premises of the resource-based view and signalling theory, the study is contextualized in the fashion industry as its current production levels require a significant consumption of natural resources, particularly water. Results show that, while the publication of the water footprint may damage companies’ reputations, initiatives aimed at increasing transparency and reducing environmental impact can reverse these losses to a large extent. In this sense, the study advances the idea that, despite possibly presenting undesirable consequences at first, the adoption of natural capital accounting can be beneficial to firms later on, with reputational gains representing important strategic incentives. Further research in different countries and industries will be beneficial to assess the possible context impact on our results.

Inward negative emotions and brand hate in users of snow-sports’ brands

PurposeThe aims of this study are to analyse the impact of brand-centric relationships (individual and collective) and negative emotions on brand hate felt towards brands used in extreme sports and to assess whether brand hate is a driver of negative consumer behavioural intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis study takes a quantitative approach, using a sample of 300 Spain-based users of snow-sports brands. After validating the measurement scales, the hypotheses were tested through structural equation modelling. Drawing on the cognitive perspective of emotions and the triangular theory of hate, this study posits that individual and collective consumer-brand relationships evoke inward negative emotions and brand hate, thus influencing brand avoidance, brand switching and negative word-of-mouth.FindingsThe results showed that collective and individual consumer-brand relationships (negative brand experience, consumer-based brand equity and symbolic incongruence) impact inward negative emotions towards snow-sports brands. Inward negative emotions directly influence brand hate, which in turn affects consumers’ intention to avoid brands, switch brands and engage in negative word-of-mouth.Originality/valueThis research provides novel insights into how individual and collective brand-centric relationships evoke inward negative emotions towards extreme sports’ brands, which in turn increases brand hate, and expands knowledge of how brand hate might increase the consumer’s intentions to avoid the brand, intention to switch brands and intention to engage in negative word-of-mouth.

Brand transgressions in advertising related to diversity, equity and inclusion: implications for consumer–brand relationships

PurposeConsidering the ongoing discourse on diversity, equity and inclusion, brands aim to develop marketing campaigns that demonstrate respect for all individuals. Despite these intentions, many advertisements still provoke strong negative reactions from consumers due to brand transgressions in social media marketing campaigns that violate these values. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the repercussions that such social media marketing campaigns have on brands, categorizing these campaigns as brand transgressions in social media advertising.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a mixed-method design that includes semi-structured interviews (Study 1), a content analysis (Study 2) and an online experiment (Study 3).FindingsThis paper clarifies the elements that qualify as brand transgressions in advertising within the diversity, equity and inclusion discourse. The negative electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) associated with brand transgressions in advertising comprises negative emotions (e.g. anger, contempt, disgust and hate) and behavioural intentions to penalize the brand (e.g. negative word-of-mouth, brand avoidance and protest behaviours). The negative e-WOM stemming from these transgressions amplifies the adverse consequences for consumer–brand relationships by negatively influencing other consumers through sympathy towards the offended parties.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper offers brand managers guidelines for preventing and managing negative consumer reactions towards brands based on their responses to marketing campaigns that contradict the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on brand transgressions related to diversity, equity and inclusion values by exploring their impact on consumer–brand relationships and highlighting the pivotal role of sympathy in perpetuating negative consequences.

REFLECTION OF BRAND HATE ON BRAND FORGIVENESS

Brand hatred consists of elements such as negative experiences that consumers have with the brand, symbolic and ideological incompatibilities, disturbing advertisements and immoral behavior. To prevent brand hatred, brands need to establish a strong bond and empathize with consumers. This situation increases the likelihood of consumers forgiving brands and the concept of brand donation emerges. Brand donation is when consumers' negative emotions towards brands are replaced by positive emotions. In this context, the aim of the study is to examine the effect of brand hatred on brand donation. In addition, the mediating role of the sub-dimensions of brand hatred with the sub-dimensions of brand donation was examined in the study. In the first part of the research, Hegner et al.'s (2017) brand hatred study titled "Determinants and outcomes of brand hate" was used. In the second part, Christodoulides et al.'s (2021) scale called "Don't be rude! The effect of content moderation on consumer‐brand forgiveness" was used. In the last part of the study, descriptive questions are included. The research was conducted on 530 participants. According to the findings of the study, the most important factors in forgiveness are symbolic incompatibility and negative past experiences. Therefore, symbolic dissonance should be reduced and brands should be ensured to represent consumers. Based on the research, it appears that brand hatred, symbolic incongruity, brand avoidance and brand retaliation have the most significant impact on cognitive brand donation. In order for the consumer to forgive the brand, the effects of these elements must be minimized.

This brand is #cancelled: Exploring brand avoidance in the age of cancel culture and influencer marketing

Cancel culture — a collective disengagement typically expressed on social media — is becoming increasingly common. Its ‘victims’ extend from celebrities to corporate brands. As active participants and opinion leaders, social media influencers can also add flames to the cancellation of brands on social media. Thus, this study is designed to explore the impact of information sources, cognitive reflection, influencer credibility and parasocial relationships with influencers on brand cancellation and brand avoidance. Survey results from 486 participants indicate that when influencers’ impact is not factored into the research model, cognitive reflection is not a significant mediator between information sources and cancelling behaviours towards brands, and cancelling behaviour is a negative predictor of brand avoidance. When the impact of influencers is included in the research model, however, the mediation role of cognitive reflection becomes significant, and cancelling behaviours are not significant contributors to brand avoidance. Instead, perceived influencer credibility significantly predicts cancelling behaviours and brand avoidance. The study concludes with a discussion of the practical implications of crisis communication in the context of cancel culture and influencer marketing.

An investigation on brand hate: understanding negative psychology of consumers in the service sector

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship among the brand hate reasons, antecedents, and its consequences. This study follows the four-step model of reasons, antecedents, and consequences of brand hate. Reasons included are product related such as poor food quality, Safety & hygiene. These reasons lead to antecedents of brand hate such as dissatisfaction, which leads to brand hate and its consequences, which are brand avoidance and complaining behavior. The study model is based on the Triangular theory of hate. This study collected data from primary sources of data through the use of a structured questionnaire. This research study follows a causal research design. The target population of the study was all food consumers of Pakistani, who had experienced any food brand in the last 06 months and had extremely negative feelings about that brand. Data screening was through Excel and was analyzed through SPSS and WarpPLS. Results showed a positively significant relationship between the reasons, antecedents, and consequences of brand hate. The findings indicated that the root cause of brand hate is customer dissatisfaction due to poor food quality and concerns about the safety & hygiene of food, which leads to brand avoidance and complaining behavior of food consumers. The outcomes of this research hold significance for the band managers, who can be helped through superior information and comprehension of such a brand hate study.

The betrayal puzzle: Unraveling the connection between inauthenticity, corporate wrongdoing and brand betrayal with avoidance and reparation

Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S–O-R) theory and attachment theory, this study investigates the proposed conceptual model of corporate wrongdoing and brand inauthenticity to elucidate individual responses. In this framework, stimuli show brand inauthenticity and corporate wrongdoing, prompting negative cognitive and emotional responses among individuals. These responses, affected by customers' attachment to the brand, are the organisms in the SOR model. Attachment theory advocates that customers form emotional bonds with brands akin to human relationships. Perceived brand betrayal, an emotional response, is a critical organism in this conceptual framework, curtailing the heresy of customers' attachment to the brand. This brand betrayal perception catalyzes brand avoidance and demand for reparation. Data were collected from Chinese consumers of luxury fashion brands and tested proposed relationships using PLS-SEM in PLS-Smart 4.0. The findings showed that brand inauthenticity and corporate wrongdoing positively predict perceived brand betrayal, significantly leading to brand avoidance and demand for reparation. Overall, the SOR model, mutual with the lens of attachment theory, sheds light on the complex dynamics of customer responses to brand inauthenticity and corporate wrongdoing, illuminating the process of brand avoidance and the subsequent call for reparation. This study contributes to the theory and practice.

Research on the Influence of Sellers’ Responses on Brand Avoidance of Potential Consumers

In recent years, the development of online platforms has significantly expanded the dissemination of online reviews at an astonishing speed. The undeniable impact it has on consumers and sales necessitates addressing the issue of reducing brand avoidance behavior caused by negative reviews, which remains a prominent concern among academics and sellers. To enhance communication between sellers and consumers while minimizing misunderstandings, numerous platforms have introduced the sellers' responses function. With various types of sellers' responses available, different response strategies yield distinct effects. This paper aims to investigate how diverse seller replies influence potential consumers' brand avoidance by examining their classification and impact in conjunction with previous literature on factors influencing brand avoidance.

Antecedents and consequences of the “cancel culture” firestorm journey for brands: is there a possibility for forgiveness?

ABSTRACT This paper aims to discuss the antecedents and consequences of cancel culture and assess if brands can gain the forgiveness of consumers and mitigate the damages of social media firestorms, that usually evolve from online abuse (e.g. cyberbullying, harassment, and offensive talk). A quasi-experiment study was conducted through an online survey simulating the cancellation journey. Results show that cancel culture is triggered by ideological incompatibilities such as religion, racism, animal rights, LGBTQIA+ and environmental issues. After the scenario that simulated an ideological incompatibility related to racism, 178 respondents rated high levels of brand hate, negative WOM, brand avoidance, brand boycott, brand retaliation, and intention to cancel the brand. However, an ‘apology’ by the brand leads to brand forgiveness, a decrease in the intention to cancel the brand and an increase in purchase intention.

The influence of brand avoidance on consumers purchasing decision

ABSTRACT
 One of the most important factors affecting a company's capacity to achieve a competitive advantage over its rivals is its brand. This paper seeks to examine the impact of brand avoidance on consumer purchasing decisions. Consumers are more likely to be satisfied and have higher expectations when brand managers can offer them high-quality products. Additionally, quality brands have a favourable impact on the consumer's purchasing decision. This study uses a qualitative methodology, notably document analysis, to uncover relevant sources on the subject to achieve the study’s aim. Furthermore, a keyword-based search of the databases of Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus was carried out to find seventeen useful scientific papers to reach the study's objective. The findings of the study showed that identity avoidance, moral avoidance, and deficit-value avoidance all had a significant impact on consumers' purchasing decisions through the literature reviewed. As a result, the study offers both theoretical and practical directions on how to succeed in getting away from the underlying reasons for disregard for brands so that consumers make insightful purchase decisions.
 Keywords: Brand Avoidance, Consumer Purchasing Decision

The Deterioration Effects of Consumer Indebtedness on Consumer and Brand Relationships: When Gift Giving is not Appreciated

Most literature on gift giving has focused on positive feelings between giver and receiver in contexts of family members or close friends. This concept is applied to gift giving strategies that used to establish positive consumer and brand relationships. However, these strategies may not result in pleasurable outcomes in all cases because they entail consumer psychological damage such as dissatisfaction and indebtedness. With a different perspective, this study investigates how negative gift giving experiences impact consumer and brand relationships. Online questionnaires were used to collect data in Thailand. Structural equation modelling results showed that negative gift giving experiences cause consumer dissatisfaction and consumer indebtedness. These feelings lead to brand hate and brand avoidance. The results also revealed the mediating role of consumer indebtedness. The results contribute theoretical insight into brand relationships and lead to recommendations on marketing practice.

Avoidance or trash talk: the differential impact of brand identification and brand disidentification on oppositional brand loyalty

Purpose Oppositional brand loyalty (OBL) has become widespread and has thus received growing scholarly attention in recent years. Although opposition behaviors have distinct manifestations, their differential antecedents remain underexplored. Drawing from the identity-based motivation model, this article aims to examine the impact of brand identification and brand disidentification on the two distinct dimensions of OBL (i.e. brand avoidance and trash talk) according to their different intensity and activation levels (passive or active). In addition, article aims to examine the moderating role of perceived inter-group rivalry. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected survey data and obtained 392 valid questionnaires from smartphone users. Structural equation modeling was used for hypothesis testing. Findings The results show that brand identification has a significant positive effect on avoidance of rival brands, but not on trash talk; brand disidentification has a significant positive effect on both avoidance and trash talk of rival brands; and perceived inter-group rivalry positively moderates the relationship between brand disidentification and trash talk, but does not alter the relationship between brand disidentification and brand avoidance. Originality/value This study extends the literature on OBL by investigating differential antecedents of two distinct dimensions of brand opposition. It provides more complete understanding of the formation of OBL by examining the role of users’ relationship with a focal brand, its competing brand and inter-group relationship.

Effects of Knowledge Anxiety and Cognitive Processing Bias on Brand Avoidance during COVID-19: The Mediating Role of Attachment Anxiety and Herd Mentality

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in users’ knowledge anxiety, which has been further intensified by the diversity of information platforms and the emphasis on digital personal branding. While previous research has examined the relationship between digital personal branding and negative emotions, little is known about the mechanisms behind negative reactions to digital personal branding from non-direct factors or users’ spontaneous negative emotions. To address this gap, this study draws on cognitive appraisal theory (CAT) and social identity theory (SIT) to explore the relationships between users’ knowledge anxiety, cognitive processing biases, and brand avoidance, and the impacts of herding behavior and attachment anxiety on these relationships. A sample of 530 consumers completed an online survey, and the data were analyzed using a partial least squares path model. The results revealed that user knowledge anxiety directly and indirectly influenced brand avoidance behavior through cognitive processing bias, and attachment anxiety moderated the path between cognitive processing bias and user knowledge anxiety. However, herding behavior was not found to be significant in online knowledge sharing communities.

Research trends, developments, and future perspectives in brand attitude: A bibliometric analysis utilizing the Scopus database (1944–2021)

Brand attitude has been the primary concern for corporation sustainability for a long. Studies have focused on various attributes concerning brand attitude comprising of many research articles. This study focuses on bibliometric analysis of brand attitude examining 1497 documents published for the years 1944–2021. The purpose of this study is to examine historic research trends, developments, and future conduits based on co-authorship and co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer. The study highlights the most prolific articles containing the most productive authors and their affiliations, keywords, and influential journals, along with future research trends. The result shows that the number of publications follows a very slow trail until 2008, mildly until 2012, following which the cumulative growth in publication increased manifold. Further, results show that researchers from the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan extended many efforts to the global knowledge of literature leading other countries. The emerging hotspot keywords analysis suggests that brand avoidance, subtle, brand betrayal, consumer ethnocentrism, environmental sustainability and policy, brand activism, brand authenticity, consumer brand engagement, and brand competence are the key areas that attract researchers' attention policymakers as future research boulevards. In the case of consumers' brand attitudes, there is a scarcity of studies that investigated the consumers' implicit and explicit brand attitudes.

The subsequent effects of negative emotions: from brand hate to anti-brand consumption behavior under moderating mechanisms

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how negative emotions toward brands, especially brand hate, impact anti-brand consumption behavior, including brand avoidance and further brand switching, through the intervening mediators of negative word-of-mouth (nWOM) and protest behavior as well as within contingencies.Design/methodology/approachExisting scales are adapted, and the field study is conducted in Malang, Indonesia. Based on purposive sampling, 275 respondents in three different malls complete a questionnaire related to Sari Roti, a national brand suffering from a boycott. In all, 250 qualified questionnaires are eventually used for data analysis using partial least square.FindingsThis research supports the effect of brand hate on nWOM, which then influences protest behavior, subsequently driving consumers to avoid a particular brand and opt for an alternative. nWOM was also found to have a direct effect on brand avoidance. For moderating effects, brand social responsibility and social media usage were found to negatively and positively affect the brand hate–nWOM relationship, respectively.Originality/valueThe limited extant literature only addresses a simple direct–effect relationship between negative emotions and anti-brand consequences. Drawing on the positioning lens and the dis-identification view, this research provides deep insight through theorizing a sequential, four-stage framework regarding the effect of brand hate on brand avoidance and brand switching. This framework is also explored under contingencies, further advancing an understanding of this dynamic subject matter.

The Impact of Word of Mouth on Brand Avoidance "An Investigation into The Egyptian Automobile Market"

The Impact of Word of Mouth on Brand Avoidance "An Investigation into The Egyptian Automobile Market"

An investigation of celebrity brand hate influence in the arts marketing sector of Ghana

PurposeThis study aimed at investigating negative past experience (NPE), symbolic incongruity and ideological incompatibility on celebrity brand hate (CBH) within the arts marketing sector.Design/methodology/approachAnchored on the self-congruity theory (SCT), the study is based on two studies with 618 hip-life music (HLM) listeners in Ghana (Study 1 = 340 face-to-face participants; study 2 = 278 online participants), who responded to 20 celebrities they hate. The study validates Hegner et al.'s (2017) product brand hate (BH) model in the arts sector utilizing the structural equal modeling in testing the research hypotheses.FindingsThe study found that negative past experience, symbolic incongruity, and ideological incompatibility significantly influences CBH. Furthermore, CBH significantly influences celebrity brand avoidance (CBA) and negative word-of-mouth (NWoM), brand retaliation, private complaint and brand switching. Nevertheless, CBH had no significant influence on CBA in the second study. In all, BH had the strongest effects on NWoM for products in Hegner et al. (2017) model, whereas in our model BH strongly impacts on brand retaliation for celebrities (i.e. people).Practical implicationsThe study provided evidence to marketing scholars, celebrity image managers and brand professionals, on critical factors to consider in building and sustaining celebrity brands as viable currencies for economic leveraging within the arts industry.Originality/valueThough BH has received academic recognition, little is known about the concept of CBH and its outcomes in the arts marketing literature.

Measuring brand hate in a cross-cultural context: Emic and Etic scale development and validation

This study investigates the emerging concept of brand hate in a cross-cultural context. Based on prior studies, we develop and validate a two-dimensional scale of brand hate that includes feelings of aversion and deep resentment. Using qualitative studies and three quantitative surveys (n = 977), we develop Emic (country-specific) scales for France, the United Kingdom, and the United States and an Etic scale (common items). Results demonstrate that the scales’ psychometric properties support discriminant and predictive validities. In addition, results show that the hypothesized antecedents (i.e., trust erosion and perceived unethicality) and consequences (i.e., brand avoidance and protest/boycott) of hate are significantly linked with hate. The findings also reveal that the three countries vary in the Emic and Etic models. Brand practitioners can apply these scales to monitor the consumer–brand relationship, and they can ultimately prevent a negative downward spiral in this relationship.

Influencing millennials to embrace sustainable fashion in an emerging market: a modified brand avoidance model perspective

PurposeThis study applies the modified brand avoidance model to examine factors that influence sustainable fashion avoidance behaviour among millennial shoppers in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachA positivistic approach and a web-based online survey were employed to collect cross-sectional data from 423 millennial fashion shoppers. Standard multiple regression analysis was used to test proposed hypotheses.FindingsUnmet expectations, materialism and symbolic incongruence emerged as major predictors of millennials' intention to avoid sustainable fashion. Sustainable fashion avoidance intention was found to have a positive effect on sustainable fashion avoidance behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThis study relied on self-reported data collected from millennial shoppers. Future studies may improve the generalizability of this study's results by conducting a comparative study with other cohorts such as baby boomers and Generation X who espouse different shopping values. Future studies may benefit from the use of longitudinal data in order to understand how millennial shoppers relate to sustainable fashion as it evolves.Practical implicationsThe results of this study suggest the importance of developing value propositions that align sustainable fashion with cultural, personality and symbolic cues valued by millennial shoppers. Consumer education on the benefits of sustainable fashion is recommended as a long-term behavioural change strategy.Social implicationsThe purchase behaviour of sustainable fashion should be encouraged as it enhances environmental sustainability including safeguarding the livelihoods of future generations.Originality/valueThis study contributes to literature on sustainable fashion avoidance behaviour. This is one of the pioneering studies to empirically examine the influence of unmet expectations, symbolic incongruence and ideological incompatibility in the context of an emerging market, such as South Africa.