Two decades of brand hate research: a review and research agenda

Purpose This review aims to synthesize the brand hate literature and suggest directions for future research on brand hate. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted an integrative literature review method to synthesize and assess the brand hate literature. Findings The synthesis showed that social identity theory, disidentification theory and duplex theory are prominently used in brand hate studies, and a larger portion of brand hate research was conducted in Western countries. Further, brand-related, self-congruity, personal factors, information influence and brand community influence are the major types of antecedents of brand hate which can produce soft or hard consequences. Lexicometric analysis showed causes of brand hate, consumers' negative emotional and behavioral outcomes and community anti-brand behavior as key themes of brand hate research. Research limitations/implications The synthesis has followed predefined criteria for the inclusion research papers. Thus, the review is limited to articles that fulfilled the criteria for inclusion. Practical implications The finding will help marketers, specially brand managers, craft strategies to handle brand hate. Originality/value The brand hate literature is still developing and remains incoherent, suggesting that a synthesized review is needed. This study has systematically reviewed and synthesized the brand hate literature to study its development over time and proposes a framework which provides a comprehensive understanding of brand hate.