Brand hate experiences and the role of social media influencers in altering consumer emotions

Abstract

The study empirically investigates brand hate experiences and the impact on consumers' patronage intentions as well as on electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) via social media. It further examines the involvement of social media influencers (SMIs) in these relationships. Through a quantitative approach, data from 1034 social media respondents were collected via a web-based survey questionnaire using Google Forms. The findings demonstrate that brand hate emotions play a significant role in shaping negative e-WOM on social media and contribute to reduced patronage intentions towardss brands. Moreover, the study reveals that the personas of SMIs and their content exert varying degrees of influence, contributing to ameliorating effects on these relationships. Theoretically, this research represents a pioneering effort, offering fresh insights into how influencer content and personas can affect consumer brand hate reactions, which has not been extensively addressed in existing literature. For brands and managers, the study proffers, amongst other submissions, the need to safeguard brand reputation with the aid of social media monitoring tools, as well as partnering with genuine SMIs whose content align with the brand’s strategy, since influencers’ interventions can impact consumer sentiments.