Consumer brand hate: The role of ambivalence

ABSTRACT Despite the importance of consumer brand hate and the negative consequences for brands, scant research has examined how consumer brand hate is formed and what is the role of consumer ambiguity in this process. The purpose of this study is to address this gap and explore how consumer ambivalence is manifested in consumer feelings of brand hate. A qualitative methodology was conducted to address the research question and the data collection method involved two studies: thirty-eight in-depth interviews and eight focus group interviews with consumers located in Chile. The findings confirm that consumer brand hate is not always an absolute feeling because in some cases consumers may be ambivalent (feel simultaneous positive and negative emotions) while feeling brand hate. The findings provide implications for brand managers, retailers and academics.