Navigating the Path of Brand Hate: Exploration of Antecedents and Outcomes

This research investigates Brand Hate, an intense, negative feeling that some consumers develop toward certain brands. It examines key triggers such as Bad Brand Experience, Hostile Brand Personality, Misleading Ads, Perceived Value Gap, and Spreading Rumours, and looks at how these factors together push customers to Avoid the Brand and share Negative Word-of-Mouth (NWOM). Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Social Identity Theory anchor the inquiry, helping to explain the mental and social roots of this fierce dislike. In a cross-sectional design, data were gathered through a structured survey completed by 350 respondents from diverse sectors, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysed the results. Findings show that Bad Brand Experience and Misleading Ads stand out as the strongest drivers of Brand Hate, with Spreading Rumours and Hostile Brand Personality still playing meaningful roles. Perceived Value Gap was linked in a weaker but real way. Overall, Brand Hate sharply boosts Negative Word-of-Mouth, threatening brand equity, consumer trust, and long-term market viability. Pragmatic tactics—such as ethical advertising, swift service recovery, and vigilant online reputation management—can help brands ease consumer hostility. Yet the current study notes important limitations, including a convenience-sample design and the absence of longitudinal data; thus, future work should explore how digital amplification and cross-cultural differences influence Brand Hate. By offering detailed theory alongside novel empirical evidence, this research deepens the scholarly discourse and gives brand managers concrete steps for reducing consumer contempt while building stronger, more trusting relationships in an ever-more-digital marketplace.