Don’t make me hate you, my love! Perceived brand betrayal and the love-becomes-hate phenomenon

Abstract

Through three scenario-based experiments and under the theoretical lens of Emotion-in-Relationships Model, this work examines the interplay between brand passion and brand transgression type (Studies 1 and 2), perceived betrayal severity (Studies 2 and 3) and betrayal source (Study 3) affecting the important yet underexamined “love-becomes-hate” phenomenon. Study 1 unveils passion as an emotional response post-transgression indicator and evidences the wrongdoing type’s influence on the generated hate type among erstwhile brand lovers. Study 2 finds perceived betrayal important in brand lovers’ brand relationships transformation, supporting that the wrongdoing type influences the generated hate type, with functional wrongdoings creating more severe hate forms than moral or symbolic wrongdoings. Study 3 reveals that for brand lovers brand wrongdoings produce more brand hate than employee wrongdoings. Overall, while consumers assess transgressions distinctively, functional and brand initiated wrongdoings need to be avoided at any cost.