When hate does not last: the evolution of brand schema in online communities

Purpose This paper aims to understand the dynamics underlying the transformation of brand schema in online communities through which consumers can transition from an anti-brand stance to a brand-neutral or brand-positive relationship. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative, exploratory approach was used, involving in-depth interviews with 25 members of brand-friendly and brand-unfriendly online communities in the UK. The study focused on participants who transitioned from brand-unfriendly to brand-friendly communities. The data analysis had two phases: first, content analysis classified participants based on their brand relationship and engagement level, resulting in a taxonomy of online brand engagement. In the second phase, a data-driven coding scheme analyzed the arguments of participants who switched from brand-unfriendly to brand-friendly communities, using analytical bracketing to understand brand schema transformation through consumer justifications for brand forgiveness. Findings The authors document six distinct pathways for consumers to transition from an anti-brand stance to a brand-neutral or brand-positive relationship. These multiple pathways show the role of brand engagement experiences and the temporality in shaping brand schema transformation. Originality/value This study challenges the traditional view of brand schema as a static and stable construct, proposing instead that brand schema is dynamic and evolving. By integrating schema theory and the theory of social representations, it provides a novel theoretical framework, Collective Schema Dynamics, that uniquely captures the bidirectional processes through which individual mental structures and collective social meanings mutually constitute brand perceptions in networked environments. The identification of six pathways offers empirical understanding of the mechanisms shaping consumer-brand relationships in online communities. Additionally, the inductively derived taxonomy provides a thorough understanding of the heterogeneity of consumer beliefs and engagement forms, emphasizing the complexity of consumer interactions in brand relationships.