From Clicks to Conflicts: A Digital Brand Hate Model for Fashion

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.A., Department of Executive Master of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, Islamic Azad University of Tehran Central Branch, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Management, Urmia University, Iran

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the phenomenon of digital brand hate in the fashion industry and to develop a comprehensive model explaining its antecedents, mechanisms, and consequences. Despite the increasing level of consumer–brand interactions in digital environments, limited research has examined how negative emotions are amplified through online platforms. This study sought to conceptualize digital brand hate as a distinct construct beyond traditional dissatisfaction, focusing on how factors such as low product quality, unethical practices, and unmet expectations contribute to brand hostility in digital contexts.
Method: The research employed a qualitative grounded theory approach, using semi-structured interviews with 22 experts, including marketing professors and fashion industry executives, selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding with ATLAS.ti software. Reliability was ensured through triangulation, test–retest reliability, and inter-coder agreement, while validity was established through construct, content, and external validation procedures. For the quantitative phase, the statistical population consisted of clothing consumers, and a sample of 384 respondents was selected based on an unlimited population. A questionnaire was developed based on the qualitative findings, and the proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS 23 software.
Findings: The results revealed six causal conditions (e.g., poor product quality and inappropriate pricing), five contextual conditions, and five intervening conditions (e.g., ethical violations and legal misconduct), three strategic responses (cost management and production expansion), and three main consequences (brand boycott, negative word-of-mouth, and economic instability). The core category identified was brand hate, which emerged from unmet expectations and ethical conflicts intensified by digital interactions. The results of the quantitative phase also indicated that the proposed model demonstrated a good fit.
Conclusion: The proposed Digital Brand Hate Model provides a structured understanding of how digital environments amplify consumer hostility toward brands. It offers practical strategies for fashion brands to enhance transparency, improve service quality, and engage in ethical practices in order to mitigate reputational risks and foster long-term brand resilience in the digital marketplace.

Keywords

References

Abbasi, A. Z., Fayyaz, M. S., Ting, D. H., Munir, M., Bashir, S., & Zhang, C. (2023). The moderating role of complaint handling on brand hate in the cancel culture. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 15(1), 46–71.
Aro, K., & Suomi, K. (2024). Interrelatedness of brand love and brand hate: The case of a female personal political brand in Finland. Corporate Reputation Review, 1–18.
Aziz, R., & Rahman, Z. (2022). Brand hate: A literature review and future research agenda. European Journal of Marketing, 56(7), 2014–2051.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (2017). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Interpersonal Development, 57–89.
Bayarassou, O., Becheur, I., & Valette-Florence, P. (2020). Fight or flight: Coping responses to brand hate. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(3), 492–511.
Bayarassou, O., Becheur, I., & Valette-Florence, P. (2024). Who hates your brand? An analysis of consumer brand hater typology. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics.
Bilewicz, M., Tempska, P., Leliwa, G., Dowgiallo, M., Tanska, M., Urbaniak, R., & Wroczynski, M. (2021). Artificial intelligence against hate: Intervention reducing verbal aggression in the social network environment. Aggressive Behavior, 47(3), 260–266.
Brandão, A., Ribeiro, B., & Gadekar, M. (2023). You ruined our love story, but I just cannot hate you—A moderation–mediation analysis of past experienced brand love and brand hate. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(3), 1126–1138.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage Publications.
Curina, I., Francioni, B., Hegner, S. M., & Cioppi, M. (2020). Brand hate and non-repurchase intention: A service context perspective in a cross-channel setting. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 54, 102031.
Fetscherin, M., Konecnik Ruzzier, M., Ivanov, S., & Ruzzier, M. (2023). Brand hate internationally: A validation study from Slovenia. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 35(4), 436–447.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 163–194). Sage Publications.
Hegner, S. M., Fetscherin, M., & Van Delzen, M. (2017). Determinants and outcomes of brand hate. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 26(1), 13–25.
Herman, J. L. (2015). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence—from domestic abuse to political terror. Hachette UK.
Japutra, A., Roy, S. K., & Pham, T. A. N. (2021). Relating brand anxiety, brand hatred and obsess: Moderating role of age and brand affection. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 60, 102465.
Kamboj, S., & Sharma, M. (2023). Dark side of consumer-brand relationships: A brand hate perspective in anti-brand social media communities. Journal of Global Marketing, 36(4), 245–267.
Kashif, M., Korkmaz Devrani, T., Rehman, A., & Samad, S. (2021). Love is not blind: Investigating a love-hate transition among luxury fashion brand consumers. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 25(4), 625–643.
Khatoon, S., & Rehman, V. (2021). Negative emotions in consumer brand relationship: A review and future research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4), 719–749.
Kiran, F., Lodhi, S. A., Shabbir, R., & Zubair, A. (2024). Consumers’ journey toward brand loyalty using social media brand community engagement: A case of fashion brands. Journal of Promotion Management, 30(1), 129–156.
Kucuk, S. U. (2019). Consequences of brand hate. In Brand hate: Navigating consumer negativity in the digital world (pp. 87–101).
Kumar, R., Jebarajakirthy, C., Maseeh, H. I., Dhanda, K., Saha, R., & Dahiya, R. (2023). Two decades of brand hate research: A review and research agenda. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 41(6), 763–789.
Kvale, S. (1996). The 1,000-page question. Qualitative Inquiry, 2(3), 275–284.
Lincoln, Y. S. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
Monahan, L., Espinosa, J. A., Langenderfer, J., & Ortinau, D. J. (2023). Did you hear our brand is hated? The unexpected upside of hate-acknowledging advertising for polarizing brands. Journal of Business Research, 154, 113283.
Nguyen, H. N. (2021). Antecedents and consequences of brand hate among netizens: Empirical evidence from Vietnam. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(7), 579–589.
Noor, U., Mansoor, M., & Rabbani, S. (2022). Brand hate and retaliation in Muslim consumers: Does offensive advertising matter? Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(6), 1395–1413.
Odoom, R., Kosiba, J. P. B., & Odoom, P. T. (2024). Brand hate experiences and the role of social media influencers in altering consumer emotions. Journal of Brand Management, 1–14.
Pantano, E. (2021). When a luxury brand bursts: Modelling the social media viral effects of negative stereotypes adoption leading to brand hate. Journal of Business Research, 123, 117–125.
Papamichael, I., Voukkali, I., Loizia, P., & Zorpas, A. A. (2023). Construction and demolition waste framework of circular economy: A mini review. Waste Management & Research, 41(12), 1728–1740.
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage Publications.
Priya, Berry, S., & Agrawal, P. R. (2024). Sustainable textile production in the developing countries: Major challenges or concerns and their possible solutions. In Dye pollution from textile industry: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development (pp. 263–278). Springer Nature Singapore.
Rodrigues, C., Brandão, A., & Rodrigues, P. (2021). I can’t stop hating you: An anti-brand-community perspective on Apple brand hate. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(8), 1115–1133.  
Roy, S. K., Sharma, A., Bose, S., & Singh, G. (2022). Consumer-brand relationship: A brand hate perspective. Journal of Business Research, 144, 1293–1304.  
Sameeni, M. S., Qadeer, F., Ahmad, W., & Filieri, R. (2024). An empirical examination of brand hate influence on negative consumer behaviors through NeWOM intensity: Does consumer personality matter? Journal of Business Research, 173, 114469.  
Sharma, I., Jain, K., & Gupta, R. (2022). The power to voice my hate! Exploring the effect of brand hate and perceived social media power on negative eWOM. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 16(4), 652–675.  
Shoaib Ul Haq, Ray Yiu-Keung Kwok; When hate does not last: the evolution of brand schema in online communities. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal 26 August 2025; 28 (4): 625–651. https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-06-2024-0105
Singh, S., & Wagner, R. (2024). Environmental concerns in brand love and hate: An emerging market’s purview of masstige consumers. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 16(5), 1202–1225.
Tahmasebifard, H., Pouyan, M. M., & Mirzaagha, M. (2018). Latent functions of brands and brandings. Business and Management Horizons, 6(1), 89.
Taqi, M., Bagozzi, R. P., Tuğrul, T., & Yaprak, A. (2024). The phenomenon of brand hate: A systematic literature review. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 1–28.
Tosun, P., Cagliyor, S. I., & Gürce, M. Y. (2024). Reducing consumer–brand incongruity through corporate social responsibility and brand trust: Exploring negative word‐of‐mouth (NWOM). International Journal of Consumer Studies, 48(6), e13099.
Vendrell Ferran, Í. (2021). Hate: Toward a four-types model. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 1–19.
Wahl, K., & Wahl, K. (2020). Fear, hate, and hope: A biopsychosociological model of the radical right. In J. Jost & D. Hegi (Eds.), The radical right: Biopsychosocial roots and international variations (pp. 21–60). Psychology Press.
Walter, C. E., Vale, V. T., Au-Yong-Oliveira, M., Veloso, C. M., & Sousa, B. B. (2023). The dark side of the brand and brand hate: A review and future research agenda. Administrative Sciences, 13(11), 234.
Woodside, A. G., Akrout, H., & Mrad, M. (2023). Consumer hate and boycott communications of socially irresponsible fashion brands: Applying complexity theory in psychology and marketing research. Psychology & Marketing, 40(10), 1986–2015.  
Yadav, A., & Chakrabarti, S. (2022). Brand hate: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(5), 1992–2019.  
Zhang, C., & Laroche, M. (2020). Brand hate: A multidimensional construct. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(3), 392–414.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 07 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 16 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 16 February 2026

Share

How to cite

Statistics