Towards a new framework for mapping service brand avoidance: the moderating effect of gender and generation cohorts

This study aims to explore the effect of consumer animosity, brand hypocrisy, undesired self-congruence, negative past experiences, ideological incompatibility, negative social influence, and perceived risk on customer brand hate and subsequent brand avoidance. We also aim to examine the boundary conditions by investigating the moderating effect of gender and generation cohorts on these relationships. With this aim, we recruited N = 461 customers of service brands, and the structural equation modelling was used as a method to test hypothesised relationships using AMOS 24.0. Results show that consumer animosity, negative past experiences, ideological incompatibility, negative social influence, and perceived risk significantly increase service brand avoidance via brand hate. Our study further indicates that brand hates among male customers occurs significantly due to consumer animosity, brand hypocrisy, negative past experiences, and negative social influence, whereas, ideological incompatibility and perceived risk significantly increase brand hate among female customers. Our data also establish that consumer animosity, ideological incompatibility, and negative social influence cause brand hate to a greater extent among generation X-ers, whereas, brand hypocrisy, negative past experiences, and perceived risk cause greater brand hate among generation Y-ers.