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Brand hate: a multidimensional construct

Chun Zhang (Department of Management and Marketing, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA)
Michel Laroche (John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada)

Journal of Product & Brand Management

ISSN: 1061-0421

Article publication date: 6 April 2020

Issue publication date: 6 April 2020

2862

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the emotional components of brand hate and the variation of emotions across different levels of brand hate.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 uses in-depth interviews and data triangulation. Studies 2-5 make use of quantitative methods to test and validate the multidimensional structure of brand hate and the variation of its composing emotions.

Findings

Study 1 suggests that brand hate is a multidimensional construct comprised of anger-, sadness- and fear-related emotions; possible antecedents and consequences are discussed. The quantitative results from Studies 2-5 confirm the findings in Study 1. A three-factor scale consisting of nine items is developed. The proposed model is tested among different samples and is compared with the currently available brand hate models. In addition, the findings show that emotions weigh differently for different brand hate levels.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the brand hate literature and provides a structure to understand brand hate more thoroughly.

Practical implications

Companies can benefit from the research through a better knowledge of brand hate. Managers can use the multidimensional measurement to detect brand hate and better cope with it.

Originality/value

This study is among the first few attempts to examine the multidimensionality of brand hate and to investigate the variation of emotions in different brand hate levels. This study contributes to a more precise description of the brand hate construct and improves understanding of consumer-brand relationships.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the School of Graduate Studies of Concordia University and the helpful comments from thesis committee members, colleagues, reviewers and editor. The authors also want to express the gratitude to Dr Rajeev Batra and Dr. Aaron Ahuvia for their comments and help on the qualitative study design at the very early stage of the project. Send correspondence to Chun Zhang (corresponding author), Department of Management and Marketing, University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45402, USA, czhang4@udayton.edu

Citation

Zhang, C. and Laroche, M. (2020), "Brand hate: a multidimensional construct", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 392-414. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-11-2018-2103

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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