Brand Avoidance: Scale Development and Validation

Abstract

The study addresses the asymmetry in existing branding literature, which predominantly focuses on the positive outcomes of favorable consumer-brand relationships. It explores the consequences of negative brand assessments. This study identifies the key antecedents of brand avoidance and develops a validated scale to assess brand health. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, and collects data from millennial respondents using purposive sampling. As a result, we developed a brand avoidance scale and tested it for its reliability and validity. The study identifies five antecedents of brand avoidance: experiential, moral, deficit-value, identity, and oppositional brand-loyalty-based avoidance. The brand avoidance scale is quantitatively tested among millennials regarding their non-buying intention towards smartphones, which nomologically supports a positive relationship. This research contributes to the branding literature by providing a more balanced scale that incorporates both positive and negative outcomes. It is a practical tool for brand managers to assess and address their brand's health, particularly amid growing brand avoidance. The study is confined to millennials and their non-buying intentions towards smartphones. Future research could expand the application of the brand avoidance scale to other demographic groups and product categories. Brand managers may use this brand avoidance scale to evaluate and address the health of their brands, helping them understand and mitigate consumer brand avoidance behavior. This scale may help identify and address the negative perceptions that lead to brand avoidance.