Do You Love Me, or Do You Hate Me? Bad Communication’s Effect on Low-Cost Airline Brand

This study examined the influence of brand personality on consumer–brand relationships, specifically brand love (BL) and brand hate (BH), and their subsequent impact on purchase intention, drawing from the balance theory of attitude change. It also investigated whether negative communication associated with a low-cost airline brand moderates these relationships, potentially increasing or decreasing purchase intention. Structural equation modelling and Hayes’s PROCESS macro were employed for analysis based on data from a survey of 200 Portuguese consumers. Results indicate that the selected dimensions of brand personality positively influence BL and negatively influence BH, while both BL and BH impact purchase intention. Additionally, ‘Bad’ communication was found to moderate the relationship between BL/BH and purchase intention. This research contributes to the branding literature by exploring these relationships within the airline service sector and underscores the significance of considering the impact of negative brand information on emotional consumer–brand relationships in this context.