Science of Avoidance in Branding
Syed Hasnain Alam Kazmi*, Syed Imran Zaman** Junaid Ahmed*** and Mohsin Raza****
Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China &, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan.*
Jinnah University for Women. Karachi, Pakistan.**
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Hyderabad, Pakistan.***
DHA Suffa University, Karachi, Pakistan.****

Abstract: This empirical research has studied on positive aspects of customer-brand relationship on brand love and loyalty and adverse feelings, like brand hate that have been unnoticed in the recent literature of consumer sciences. The purpose of current exploration is to study the antecedents of customer brand hate feelings and consequences that emanates from consumer hate feelings towards the brands. The study is based upon quantitative research design by employing five point Likert scale survey questionnaire as tool to collect the data from 388 random subjects who articulated hate feelings towards specific fast food brands. The partial least square- structural equation modelling has been employed to conclude findings of the research. The empirical discoveries of the study show that, negative word of mouth and brand avoidance are the leading consequences of the brand hate from moral avoidance, experimental avoidance and identity avoidance as its antecedents. The sampling population of the study was limited to the emerging market and data is randomized from customer of fast foods brands. Finally the current research provides the empirical evidences on the theoretical model of brand hate that outlines its antecedents and consequences in the context of emerging markets and brand.

Keywords: brand hate, brand love, brand avoidance, emerging market, negative word of mouth