The power to voice my hate! Exploring the effect of brand hate and perceived social media power on negative eWOM

Abstract

Purpose Consumer brand relationship literature has recently seen a surge of studies on brand hate, its antecedents and outcomes. Hate alone will not drive consumers to engage in negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and indicates the interplay of other social relationship factors that can strengthen the effect of brand hate on negative eWOM. The purpose of this study is to integrate the emerging concept of brand hate and perceived social media power with the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to expand the understanding of negative eWOM. Design/methodology/approach Data is collected through a survey conducted among university students based in the National Capital Region of Delhi in India. The research model is empirically tested using structural equation modeling in AMOSv23. Findings The three TPB dimensions, including brand attitude, subjective norms and individual’s propensity to anthropomorphize, are found to influence brand to hate significantly. The other perceived control factors included in the model, perceived homophily and social media self-efficacy, were found to affect perceived social media power, which, in turn, is crucial in predicting consumers’ engagement in negative eWOM behavior, both directly and through interaction with brand hate. Originality/value The study contributes to brand hate literature and offers a novel perspective by advocating the role of consumers’ propensity to anthropomorphize in augmenting feelings of brand hate.

Impact of brand hate on consumer well-being for technology products through the lens of stimulus organism response approach

“…Sharing negative words of mouth is also considered as a consumer voice against brands to communicate their negative experiences, attitudes, and emotions including brand hate. A recent research study on Indian consumers also found negative words of mouth as a strong means to express their voice as a consequence of brand hate ( Sharma et al, 2021 ). Moreover, the research study also found that negative consumer emotions based on perceptions of unfairness and injustice led to consumer retaliation ( Grégoire and Fisher, 2008 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ).…”

The relationship between electronic word of mouth and brand: A systematic review and future research agenda

“…The above relationship has been tested by Sharma et al (2021). As brand hate is a relatively new topic, interesting dimensions, antecedents, and consequences are still being explored.…”

“…As Table 6 presents, Brand attitude is explored the most. It is found that attitude toward brand leads to eWOM (Sharma et al, 2021). Various facilitators mediate the mentioned relationship, such as brand hate (Sharma et al, 2021), and so forth.…”

“…It is found that attitude toward brand leads to eWOM (Sharma et al, 2021). Various facilitators mediate the mentioned relationship, such as brand hate (Sharma et al, 2021), and so forth. eWOM, and brand attitude, further leading to consumer behaviour (Zhou et al, 2021).…”

The influence of self‐brand connection on consumer reactions to symbolic incongruency and perceived betrayal

“…These individuals attach heightened importance to the impression they present to others (Eisingerich et al, 2015; Sedikides & Strube, 1995), and thus, they are more likely to remain vigilant and react more negatively toward a brand's behavior if they perceive it as potentially damaging to their self‐image. The amplifying effect of high SBC on felt betrayal would consequently cause a decline in consumer attitudes and purchase intentions (predictor of actual purchasing behavior; Morrison, 1979), and lead consumers to engage in negative word of mouth (WOM) (Sharma et al, 2022; Wangenheim, 2005). Negative WOM is an active consumer reaction which influences other people's attitudes (e.g., Bone, 1995; Weitzl et al, 2018), decisions (Wangenheim & Bayón, 2004), and purchase intentions (Herr et al, 1991).…”