Connected consumersʹ responses to negative brand actions: The roles of transgression self-relevance and domain

Brand misdeeds abound in the marketplace, but prior research indicates that having a strong connection with a brand buffers consumers from adverse effects of brand transgressions. However, the present research questions the scope of this buffering effect. The studies in this research demonstrate that strongly connected consumers are not so forgiving of a brand transgression if the brandʹs actions are personally relevant to them or if the negative actions are of an ethical nature rather than related to product performance. In particular, this research finds that the well-documented buffering effect emerges only when negative brand actions are not self-relevant for the individual consumer and the negative actions lie in the product, not ethical, domain. Therefore, contrary to the findings of prior research, connected consumersʹ brand attitudes are far from immune to brand misdeeds. Implications for managing brand crises conclude the article.