Exploring the Factors Influencing Blame Attribution and Attitudes Toward Brands with COVID-19 Semantical Associations: A Study During the Lockdown Period

The horn effect bias refers to the phenomenon where a negative trait influences a person's or brand's overall perception. This study examines the influence of psychological perceptions, such as perceived risk, perceived anxiety, and perceived severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, on consumer attitudes toward brands sharing similar names with the coronavirus. Specifically, three brands—Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, and Virus Vodka—with varying degrees of semantic similarity to pandemic names were selected for investigation. Our findings indicate that the consumption frequency of the selected brands did not significantly differ before and during the pandemic. Furthermore, when assessing blame attribution, participants did not hold these brands accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, no evidence was found to suggest a negative shift in perceptions of the pandemic affecting brand feelings and evaluations (i.e., attitude toward the brand).