Consumer reactions to social media brand blunders
(A2020-62483)

AUTHORS

Ceren Hayran, Assistant Prof/Ozyegin University; Melis Ceylan, Bilkent University

KEYWORDS

brand blunders; brand trust; product-harm crisis

ABSTRACT

This research explores how brand blunders - humorous and accidental business mistakes - that take place on social media influence consumers’ attitudes and relationship with the brand. Four studies show that loyal (versus non-loyal) consumers are more negatively influenced by blunders as they think blunders do not fit the brand so they are not funny but offensive. This finding is contrary to product-harm crises, which are evaluated more negatively by the non-loyal (versus loyal) consumers of a brand, due to finding product related incidents more diagnostic in evaluating the brand performance in the future.