Killing brands with kindness: Consumer-driven online value destruction

Purpose This paper aims to investigate consumers’ cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagements in online value destruction (OVD), following negative experiences with brands. Prior research has examined value destruction as a customer–firm relationship, whereas this study looks at the phenomenon through the lens of consumer-to-consumer relationships. Shifting the focus from a service-dominant to a consumer-dominant paradigm reveals several new aspects of value destruction involving consumer care and well-being. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a mixed-methods research design, triangulating qualitative and quantitative methods. Study 1 uses netnography to examine consumers’ online value-destroying behaviour and explores key themes in depth through 18 semi-structured interviews with consumers who have engaged in OVD. The results are derived through coding and thematic analysis. Study 2 is a confirmatory survey with 503 participants, which is analysed through structural equation modelling. Findings The findings reveal consumers’ motivation to engage in value destruction, the different types of and responses to consumer-driven value destruction and, finally, the consequences of engaging in value destruction. Findings were synthesised into a conceptual model of online consumer-driven value destruction, comprising three main phases: drivers, engagement and outcomes. Research limitations/implications Despite the contributions to research and practice, some limitations in this study are acknowledged. Firstly, it only addresses text-based communications between consumers while there are other aspects of the context, such as videos and images that can potentially destroy value as well. Secondly, it also focused on cognitive, emotional and behavioural drivers of OVD behaviour, while other consumer characteristics, such as cultural differences, personality and attitude towards value-destroying behaviour, were not accounted for due to the capabilities of the methods used. Thirdly, another limitation is that the internet is a dynamic field that comes with innovation and change. Social media and review aggregators, have undergone numerous changes and are expected to continue to evolve in security, terms and interface, which can change the consumer behaviours on such media. Fourthly, a relatively large percentage (48.7%) of the respondents were above 50 years old, which may have also caused the high percentage of respondents out of employment (52.7%). Practical implications This paper proposes managerial implications and recommendations for mitigating OVD. By using the insights offered on the nature of OVD, managers can anticipate problems and adopt pre-emptive, handling and damage-control strategies. Social implications Active advocates of consumer groups can also be interested in understanding the power they possess with social media and how to harness it for their benefit. Illuminating the destructive potential of the online context can help consumers be more conscious about the way they engage in such behaviour considering the potential harm for the business. Originality/value This paper makes an empirical and theoretical contribution to value destruction literature by examining the phenomenon from a consumer-to-consumer perspective and conceptualising it within the consumer-dominant paradigm. Specifically, it offers insights into consumer engagement dimensions (cognitive, emotional and behavioural) before, during and after OVD engagement. A key contribution is proposing a positive kindness element within the OVD process that is built on consumer collegiality and concern for others’ well-being.