The chopsticks debacle: how brand hate flattened Dolce & Gabbana in China

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the development of brand hate based on the case of Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The strategy adopted in this study is a single in-depth case study. Qualitative methods are applied in both the data collection and analysis.

Findings

The findings identified six distinct stages through which brand hate can develop: awareness, anger, amplification, antagonism, action and apathy.

Research limitations/implications

The case is specific to a luxury brand and the Chinese cultural context.

Practical implications

Practitioners need to consider how business strategies can be adapted to manage the six stages of the manifestation of brand hate. A “proactive” approach is needed to avoid arousing brand hate, while a “reactive” approach is needed to manage its potential ramifications.

Originality/value

There has been a paucity of anti-consumption research within the business strategy literature. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the focus on China makes this the first study to investigate brand hate within a Chinese cultural context.

Citation

Atwal, G., Bryson, D. and Kaiser, M. (2021), "The chopsticks debacle: how brand hate flattened Dolce & Gabbana in China", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 43 No. 1, pp. 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-07-2020-0160