Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores and discusses the concept of brand forgiveness. It empirically assesses the relationships among three types of brand transgressions, brand forgiveness, and three consumer coping strategies.

Design/methodology/approach: A 3 × 2 research design is employed to evaluate the effects of three types of brand transgression (performance, image, and value) and two degrees of severity (high vs. low) for brand forgiveness. Then, this paper employs a 2 × 3 research design, evaluating two degrees of brand forgiveness (high vs. low) together with their effects on three different consumer coping strategies (switching, attacking, and purchasing again). Using a representative sample of 472 U.S. consumers, various hypotheses related to these research designs are tested.

Findings: The results show that almost half (48%) of consumers are unlikely or very unlikely to forgive a brand compared to about a third (32%) who are likely or very likely to forgive. The results of ANOVA show the more severe the brand transgression, the less likely the forgiveness. Consumers who are more likely to forgive are less likely to avoid the brand or engage in attacking behaviors; they are also more likely to purchase the brand again. The results of regression analyses show that consumers witnessing a performance-based brand transgression are more likely to forgive the brand than in the case of image- or value-based brand transgressions.

Originality/value: This paper explores and outlines the brand forgiveness construct, both theoretically and empirically.

Publication Title

Journal of Product & Brand Management

DOI

10.1108/JPBM-04-2018-1845

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