Brand Hate: Navigating Consumer Negativity in the Digital World

Description

This book focuses on the concept of “brand hate” and consumer negativity in today’s digital markets. It explores the emotional detachment consumers generate against valued brands and how negative experiences affect their and other consumers' loyalty. It is almost impossible not to run into hateful language about companies and their brands in today’s digital consumption spaces. Consumer hostility and hate is not hidden and silent anymore but is now openly shared on many online anti-brand websites, consumer social networking sites, and complaint and review boards. The book defines consumer brand hate and discusses its dimensions, antecedents, and consequences as well as the semiotics and legality of such brand hate activities based on current brand dilution arguments. It describes the situations which lead to anti-branding and how consumers choose to express their dissatisfaction with a company on individual and social levels. This newly updated edition discusses recent research findings from brand hate literature with new cases and extended managerial analysis. Thus, the book provides strategic perspectives on how to handle such situations to achieve better functioning markets for scholars and practitioners in marketing, psychology, and consumer behavior. Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 What Is Hate? (S. Umit Kucuk)....Pages 3-21 What Is Brand Hate? (S. Umit Kucuk)....Pages 23-48 Antecedents of Brand Hate (S. Umit Kucuk)....Pages 49-86 Consequences of Brand Hate (S. Umit Kucuk)....Pages 87-101 Front Matter ....Pages 103-103 Semiotics of Brand Hate (S. Umit Kucuk)....Pages 105-128 Legality of Brand Hate: Dilution v. Collusion (S. Umit Kucuk)....Pages 129-161 Managing Brand Hate (S. Umit Kucuk)....Pages 163-191 Back Matter ....Pages 193-199