Am I aligned with how I portray myself? The effect of perceived brand hypocrisy on consumer emotions

Abstract

As consumer needs and demands increase, brands that misbehave may face adverse reactions that negatively impact the consumer-brand relationship. In this study, we investigate how differences between a brand’s portrayed image and how it behaves may lead to the appearance of Brand Hypocrisy perceptions, and ultimately, give rise to Brand Hate and a Desire for Revenge. A 2 (Brand Hypocrisy Exposure: Yes, No) × 2 (Brand Type: Product, Service) experiment was implemented, and a total of 204 consumers were randomly assigned to one of four case conditions. To analyze the main effects between the independent and dependent variables, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, PROCESS was used to test moderation, and to confirm the effectiveness of the experimental manipulation, an independent samples t-test was also applied. The results showed that consumers that have been exposed to Brand Hypocrisy were more likely to elicit higher levels of Brand Hate and Desire for Revenge. However, if consumers showed higher levels of Self-Brand Connection, it shielded brands of one of these negative outcomes. Overall, the study contributes to the literature on brand perceptions and negative consumer reactions by providing new outcomes and finding that Self-Brand Connection can help brand managers mitigate Brand Hate.